The rise and progress of religion in the soul : illustrated in a course of serious and practical addresses, suited to persons of every character and circumstance : with a devout meditation, or prayer, subjoined to each chapter

THE

OF

RELIGION IN THE SOUL;

Q ' ILLUSTRATED IN A COURSE OF

SERIOUS AND PRACTICAL ADDRESSES,

SUITED TO PERSONS

Of every Character and Circumstance :

WITH A

DEVOUT MEDITATION, OR PRAYER,

SUBJOINED TO EACH CHAPTER.

BY PHILIP DODDRIDGE, D. D.

NEW-YORK

PUBLISHED BY THE

AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETlTy

KO. 150 NASSAU-STREET.
Fanshaw, Printer.

THE NEW YORK

PUBUC UBRARY

492hBl

AtTOH, LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
» 191(3 ^

CONTENTS.

Preface, . . , «

CHAP. I.— The introduction to tlie
work, with some general account
of its design,
A prayer for the success of it, in
promoting the rise and progress
of religion, ....

CHAP. II. — The careless sinner awa-
kened, ....
The meditation of a sinner who
was once thoughtless, but begins
to be awakened, .

OHAP. III.— The awakened sinner
urged to immediate considera-
tion, and cautioned against de-

A prayer for one who is tempted to
delay applying to religion, though
under some conviction of its im-
portance, ....

CHAP. IV.— The sinner arraigned
and convicted,
The confession of a sinner, convin-
ced in general of his guilt, .

CHAP, v.— The sinner stripped of
his vain pleas,
The meditation of a convinced sin-
ner, giving up his vain pleas be-
fore God, ....

CHAP. VI. — The sinner sentgDced,
The reflection of a sia^fr struck
with the terror of l_s seuteuce,

CHAP. VII.— The helpless state of
the sinner under condemnation,
The lamentation of a sinner in this
miserable condition,

CHAP. VIH.— News of salvation by
Christ brought to the convinced
and condemned sinner,
The sinner's reflection on this good
news

CHAP. IX. — A more particular ac-
count of the way by which this
salvation is to be obtained, .
The sinner deliberating oin the ex-
pediency of falling in with tliis
method of salvation.

67

CHAP. X.— The sinner seriously ur-
ged and intreated to accept of
salvation in this way, .' . 84
The sinner yielding to these intrea-
ties, and declaring his acceptance
of salvation by cSirist, . 90

CHAP. XL— A solemn address to
those who will not be persuaded
to fall in with the design of the
gospel, ....

A compassionate prayer in behalf
of tlie impenitent sinner,

lOJ

CHAP. XII.-^ An address to a soul so
overwhelmed with a sense of the
greatness of its sins, that it dares
not apply itself to Christ with any
hope of salvation,
Reflection on the encouragements
he has to do it, ending in an hum-
ble and earnest application to
Christ for mercy, .

lOS

CHAP. XIII.— The doubting soul
more particularly assisted in its
inquiries as to the sincerity of its
faith and repentance, . . 110
The soul submitting to divine exa-
mination the sincerity of its re-
pentance and faith, . • 115

CHAP. XIV.— A more particular
view of the several branches of
the Christian temper ; by which
the reader may be further assist-
ed, in judging what he is, and
what he should endeavour to be, 117
A review of the several branches of
this temper in a scriptural prayer, 129

CHAP. XV.— The reader reminded
how much he needs the assist-
ance of the Spirit of God to form
him to this temper, and what en-
couragement he has to expect it, 132
An humble supplication for the in-
fluences of divine grace to form
and strengthen religion in the
soul, 135

CHAP. XVI.— The Christian convert
warned of, and animated against,
those discouragements which he
must expect to meet, when enter-
ing on a religious course , 138

nr

CONTENTS.

The soul, alarmed by a sense of
these difficulties, committiug it-
self to divine protection, . 142

CHAP. XVII.— The Christian urged
to, and assisted in, an express
act of self-dedication to the ser-
vice of God. . . 144
An example of self-dedication, 147
Together with au abstract of it, to
be used witli proper and requisite
alterations, .... 151

CHAP. XVIII.— On communion in
the Lord's supper, . . 153

A prayer for one who desires to at-
tend, yet has some remaining
doubts concerning his right to
that solemn ordinance, . 158

CHAP. XIX.— Some more particu-
lar directions for maintaining
continual communion with God,
or being in his fear all the day
long ; in a letter to a pious
friend, .... 160
A serious view of death, proper to
be taken as we Ue down on our
beds, 172

CHAP, XX. — A serious persuasive
to such a method of spending our

days, 174

A prayer suited to the state of a soul
who longs to attain such a life, ISl

CHAP. XXI.— A caution against va-
rious temptations, by which the
young convert may be drawn
aside from tiie course betore re-
commended, . . . 183
The young convert's prayer for di-
vine protection from the danger
of these snares, ... 191

CHAP. XXn.— The case of spiritual
decay and languor in religion, 193
A prayer (or one under spiritual
decays, .... 199

CHAP. XXIII.— The sad case of a
relapse into know^n and deUbe-
rate sin, aflM solemn acts of de-

dication to God, and some pro-
gress made in religion, . 202
A prayer for one who has fallen into
gross sin, after religious resolu-
tions and engagements, . 209

CHAP. XXIV.— The case of the
Christian under the hidings of
God's lace, .... 212
An humble supplication for one un-
der the hidings of God's face, 221

CHAP. XXV.— The Christian strug-
gling under great and heavy af-
flictions, .... 224
An address to God under the pres-
sure of heavy affliction, . 228

CHAP. XXVI.— The Christian as-
sisted in examining into his
growth in grace, . . 231

The Christian breathing earnestly
after giowth in grace, . 238

CHAP. XXVII. — The advanced
Christian reminded of tiie mer-
cies of God, and exhorted to the
exercise of habitual love to him,
and joy in him, . . , 240
An example of the genuine work-
ings of this grateful joy in God, 245

CHAP. XXVIII. — The established
Christian urged to exert himself
for purposes of usefulness, . 249
The Christian breathing after more
extensive usefulness, . . 258

CHAP. XXIX.— The Christian re-
joicing in the views of death and
judgment, . . . 259

The meditation and prayer of a
Christian whose heart is warm-
ed with these prospects, . 266

CHAP. XXX.— The Christian ho-
nouring God by his dying beha-
viour, .... 268
A meditation and prayer suited to
the case of a dying Christian, 276

Brief notice of the Life of Dr. Dod-
dridge, .... 280

PREFACE.

The several hints given in the first chapter of this
Treatise, which contains a particular plan of the design,
render it unnecessary to introduce it with a long preface.
My much honored friend, Dr. Watts, had laid the
scheme, especially of the former part. But as those indis-
positions, with which God has been pleased to exercise
him, had forbid his hopes of being able to add this to his
many labours of love to immortal souls, he was pleased, in
a very affectionate and importunate manner, to urge me to
undertake it. And I bless God with my whole heart, not
only that he hath carried me through this delightful task,
(for such indeed I have found it,) but also that he hath
spared that worthy and amiable person to see it accom-
plished, and given him strength and spirit to review so con-
siderable a part of it. His approbation, expressed in stronger
terms than modesty will permit me to repeat, encourages
me to hope that it is executed in such a manner as may,
by the Divine blessing, render it of some general service.
And I the rather hope it will be so, as it now comes abroad
into the world, not only with my own prayers and his, but
also with those of many other pious friends, which I have
been particularly careful to engage for its success.

Into whatever hands this work may come, I must desire,
that, before any pass their judgment upon it, they would

6 PREFACE.

please to read it through, that they may discern the con-
nexion between one part of it and another ; which I the
rather request, because I have long observed, that Chris-
tians of different parties have been eagerly laying hold on
particular parts of the system of Divine truth, and have
been contending about them, as if each had been all ; or as
if the separation of the members from each other, and
from the head, were the preservation of the body, instead
of its destruction. They have been zealous to espouse
the defence, and to maintain the honor and usefulness of
each apart : whereas the honor, as well as the usefulness,
seems to me to lie much in their connection : and suspi-
cions have often arisen betwixt the respective defenders
of each, which have appeared as unreasonable and absurd,
as if all the preparations for securing one part of a ship in
a storm were to be censured as a contrivance to sink the
rest. I pray God to give to all his ministers and people
more and more of the spirit of wisdom, and of love, and
of a sound mind : and to remove far from us those mutual
jealousies and animosities, ^vhich hinder our acting with
that unanimity which is necessary in order to the success-
ful carrying on of our common warfare against the enemies
of Christianity. We may be sure, these enemies will
never fail to make their own advantage of our multiplied
divisions and severe contests with each other. But they
must necessarily lose both their ground and their influence,
in proportion to the degree in which the energy of Chris-
tian principles is felt to unite and transform the heart of
those by whom they are professed.

I have studied, in this Treatise, the greatest plainness of
speech, that the lowest of my readers may, if possible, be

PREFACE. 7

able to understand every word ; and I hope persons of a
more elegant taste and refined education will pardon what
appeared to me so necessary a piece of charity. Such a
care in practical writings seems one important instance of
that honoring all men, which our amiable and condescend-
ing religion teaches us ; and I have been particularly oblig-
ed to my worthy patron, for what he hath done to shorten
some of the sentences, and to put my meaning into plainer
and more familiar words.

I must add one remark here, which I heartily wish I
had not omitted in the first edition, viz : That though I
do in this book consider my reader as successively in a
great variety of supposed circumstances, beginning with
those of a thoughtless sinner, and leading him through
several stages of conviction, terror, &c. as what may
be previous to his sincerely accepting the Gospel, and
devoting himself to the service of God ; yet I would
by no means be thought to insinuate, that every one who is
brought to that happy resolution, arrives at it through those
particular steps, or feels agitations of mind equal in degree to
those I have described. Some sense of sin, and some seri-
ous and humbling apprehension of our danger and misery
in consequence of it, must indeed be necessary to dispose
us to receive the grace of the Gospel, and the Saviour who
is there exhibited to our faith. But God is pleased some-
times to begin the work of his grace in the heart almost
from the first dawning of reason, and to carry it on by such
gentle and insensible degrees, that very excellent persons,
who have made the most eminent attainments in the Di-
vine life, have been unable to recount any remarkable his-
tory of their conversion. And so far as I can learn, this

8 PREFACE.

is most frequently the case with those of them who have
enjoyed the benefit of a pious education, when it has not
been succeeded by a vicious and licentious youth. God
forbid, therefore, that any should be so insensible of their
own happiness, as to fall into perplexity with relation tp
their spiritual state, for want of being able to trace such a
rise of religion in their minds, as it was necessary on my
plan for me to describe and exemplify here. I have
spoken my sentiments on this head so fully in the eighth
of my Sermons on Regeneration, that I think none who
has read, and remembers the general contents of it, can
be in danger of mistaking my meaning here. But as
it is very possible this book may fall into the hands of
many who have not read the other, and have no opportu-
nity of consulting it, I thought it proper to insert this cau-
tion in the preface to this ; and I am much obliged to that
worthy and excellent person who kindly reminded me of
the expediency of doing it. Philip Doddridge.

THE

OF

RELIGION IN THE SOUL.

CHAPTER I.

THE INTRODUCTION TO THE WORK, AVITH SOME GENERAL
ACCOUNT OF ITS DESIGN.

1. 2. That true religion is very rare, appears from comparing the
nature of it with the lives and characters of men around us. —
3. The loant of it, matter of jn.st lamentation. — 4. To remedy this
evil, is the design of the ensuing Treatise. — 5. 6. To which, there-
fore, the Author earnestly bespeaks the attention of the reader, as
his own heart is deeply interested in it. — 7. to 12. A general plan
of the Work; ofivhich the first fifteen chapters relate chiefly to the
Rise of Beligion, and the remaining chapters to its Progress.
— Prayer for the success of the Work.

1. When we look around us with an attentive eye, and
consider the characters and pursuits of men, we plainly
«ee, that though, in the original constitution of their na-
tures, they only, of all the creatures that dwell on the face
of the earth, are capable of religion, yet many of them
shamefully neglect it. And whatever different notions
people may entertain of what they call religion, all must
agree in ov/ning, that it is very far from being a universal
thing.

2. Religion, in its most general view, is such a sense
of God in the soul, and such a conviction of our obliga-
tions to him, and of our dependence upon him, as shall
engage us to make it our great care to conduct ourselves
in a manner which we have reason to believe will be
pleasing to him. Now, when we have given this plain ac-
count of religion, it is by no means necessary that we should
search among the savages of distant Pagan nations, to find
instances of thof?e'who are strangers to it. When we view
the conduct of the generality of people at home, in a

10 heligion not universal. [Ch. 1

Christian and Protestant nation, in a nation whose obli-
gations to God have been singular, almost beyond those
of any other people under heaven, will any one presume
to say, that religion has a universal reign among us ? Will
any one suppose, that it prevails in every life ; that it
reigns in every heart ? Alas ! the avowed infidelity, the
profanation of the name and day of God, the drunkenness,
the lewdness, the injustice, the falsehood, the pride, the
prodigality, the base selfishness, and stupid insensibility
about the spiritual and eternal interests of themselves and
others, which so generally appear among us, loudly pro-
claim the contrary. So that one would imagine, upon
this view, that thousands and tens of thousands thought
the neglect, and even the contempt of religion, were a
glory, rather than a reproach. And whore is the neigh-
borhood, where is the society, where is the happy family,
consisting of any considerable number, in which, on a
more exact examination, we find reason to say, " religion
fills even this little circle ?" There is, perhaps, a free-
dom from any gross and scandalous immoralities, an ex-
ternal decenc}' of behaviour, an attendance on the outward
forms of worship in public, and, here and there, in the
family ; yet, amidst all this, there is nothing which looks
like the genuine actings of the spiritual and divine life.
There is no appearance of love to God, no reverence of
his presence, no desire of his favor as the highest good :
there is no cordial belief of the Gospel of salvation ; no
eager solicitude to escape that condemnation which we
have incurred by sin ; no hearty concern to secure that
eternal life which Christ has purchased and secured for
his people, and which he freely promises to all who will
receive him. Alas ! whatever the love of a friend, or
even a parent can do ; whatever inclination there may be, to
hope all things, and believe all things the most favorable,
evidence to the contrary will force itself upon the mind,
and extort the unwilling conclusion, that, whatever else
may be amiable in this dear friend — in that favorite child
— "religion dwells not in his breast."

3. To a heart that firmly believes the Gospel, and
views persons and things in the light of eternity, this is
one of the most mournful consideration^^ in the world.
And indeed, to such a one, all other calamities and evils

Ch. 1.] THE WANT OF IT TO BE LAMENTED. 11

of human nature appear trides, when compared with this :
the absence of real religion, and that contrariety to it,
which reigns in so many thousands of mankind. Let this
be cured, and all the other evils will easily be borne ; nay,
good will be extracted out of them. But if this continue,
it "bringeth forth fruit unto death;" (Rom. vii. 5.) and
in consequence of it, multitudes, wdio share the entertain-
ments of an indulgent Providence w"lth us, and are at least
dlied to us by the bond of the same common nature, must,
in a few years, be swept away into utter destruction, and
be plunged, beyond redemption, into everlasting burnings.
4. I doubt not but there are many, under the various
forms of religious profession, who are not only lamenting
this in public, if their office in life calls them to an oppor-
tunity of doing it ; but are likewise mourning before God
in secret, under a sense of this sad state of things ; and
who can appeal to Him that searches all hearts, as to the
sincerity of their desires to revive the languishing cause
of vital Christianity and substantial piety. And, among
the rest, the Author of this treatise may with confidence
say, it is this which animates him to the present attempt, in
the midst of so many other cares and labours. For this he
is willing to lay aside many of those curious amusements in
science which might suit his own private taste, and perhaps
open a way for some reputation in the learned world. For
this he is willing to w^ave the labored ornaments of speech,
that he may, if possible, descend to the capacity of the
lowest part of mankind. For this he would endeavor to
convince the judgment, and to reach the heart of every
reader: and, in a word, for this, without any dread of the
name of an enthusiast, whoever may at random throw it
out upon the occasion, he would, as it w^ere, enter with
you into your closet, from day to day; and v/ith all plain-
ness and freedom, as w ell as seriousness, would discourse
to you of the great things which he has learned from the
Christian revelation, and on which he assuredly knows
your everlasting happiness to depend ; that, if you hither-
to have lived without religion, you may be now aw^aken-
ed to the consideration of it, and may be instructed in its
nature and importance ; or that, if you are already, through
Divine grace, experimentally acquainted with it, you may
be assisted to make a farther progress.

12 THE author's design. [Ch. 1.

6. But he earnestly entreats this favor of you, that, as
it is plainly a serious business we are entering upon, you
wbuld be pleased to give him a serious and an attentive
hearing. He entreats, that these addresses, and these
meditations, may be perused at leisure, and be thought over
in retirement; and that you would do him and yourself
the justice to believe the representations which are here
made, and the warnings which are here given, to pro-
ceed from sincerity and love ; from a heart that would not
designedly give one moment's unnecessary pain to the
meanest creature on the face of the earth, and much less
to any human mind. If he be importunate, it is because
he at least imagines that there is just reason for it, and
fears, lest, amidst the multitudes who are undone by the
utter neglect of religion, and among those who are great-
ly damaged for want of a more resolute and constant at-
tendance to it, this may be the case of some into whose
hands this treatise may fall.

6. He is a barbarian, and deserves not to be called a
man, who can look upon the sorrov.s of his fellow crea-
tures without drawing out his soul unto them, and wish-
ing, at least, that it were in the power of his hand to help
them. Surely earth would be a heaven to that man, who
could go about from place to place, scattering happiness
wheresoever he came, though it were only the body that
he were capable of relieving, and though he could impart
nothing better than the happiness of a mortal life. But
the happiness rises in proportion to the nature and degree
of the good which he imparts. Happy, are we ready to
say, were those honored servants of Christ, who, in the
early days of his church, were the benevolent and sym-
pathizing instruments of conveying miraculous healing to
those whose cases seemed desperate ; who poured in upon
the blind and the deaf the pleasures of light and sound,
and called up the dead to the powers of action and en-
joyment. But this is an honor and happiness which it is
not fit for God commonly to bestow on mortal men. Yet
there have been, in every age, and, blessed be his name,
there still are those whom he has condescended to make
his instruments in conveying nobler and more lasting
blessings than these to their fellow creatures. Death has
long since veiled the eyes, and stopped the ears, of those

Ch. 1.] PLAN OF THE WORK. 13

who were the subjects of miraculous healing, and reco-
vered its empire over those who were once recalled from
the grave. But the souls who are prevailed upon to re-
ceive the Gospel, live for ever. God has owned the la-
bors of his faithful ministers in every age to produce
these blessed effects ; and some of them "being dead, yet
speak," (Heb. xi. 4.) with power and success, in this im-
portant cause. Wonder not then, if, living and dying, I
be ambitious of this honor ; and if my mouth be freely
opened, where I can truly sav, " my heart is enlarged."
(2 Cor. vi. 11.)

7. In forming my general plan, I have been solicitous
that this little treatise might, if possible, be useful to all
its readers, and contain something suitable to each. I will
therefore take the man and the Christian, in a great va-
riety of circumstances. I will first suppose myself ad-
dressing one of the vast number of thoughtless creatures,
who have hithetto been utterly unconcerned about reli-
gion, and will try what can be done, by all plainness and
earnestness of address, to awaken him from this fatal le-
thargy, to a care, (chap. 2.) an affectionate and an imme-
diate care about it. (chap. 3.) I will labor to fix a deep
and awful conviction of guilt upon his conscience, (chap.
4.) and to strip him of his vain excuses and his flattering
hopes, (chap. 5.) I will read to him, 0! that I. could
fix on his heart, that sentence, that dreadful sentence,
which a righteous and an Almighty God hath denounced
against him as a sinner; (chap. 6.) and endeavor to show
him, in how helpless a state he lies under this condemna-
tion, as to any capacity he has of delivering himself,
(chap. 7.) But I do not mean to leave any in so terri-
ble a situation : I will joyfully proclaim the glad tidings
of pardon and salvation by Christ Jesus our Lord, which
is all the support and confidence of my own soul. (chap.
8.) And then I will give some general view of the way
by which this salvation is to be obtained ; (chap. 9.) urg-
ing the sinner to accept of it as affectionately as I can :
(chap. 10.) though nothing can be sufficiently pathetic,
where, as in this matter, the life of an immortal soul is ia
question.

8. Too probable it is, that some will, after all this, re-
main insensible ; and therefore, that their sad case may

14 PLAN OF THE WORK. [Ch. 1.

not encumber the following articles, I shall here take a
solemn leave of them; (chap. 11.) and then shall turn
and address myself, as compassionately as I can, to a most
contrary character : I mean, to a soul overwhelmed with
a sense of the greatness of its sins, and trembling under
the burden, as if there were no more hope for him in God.
(chap. 12.) And that nothing may be omitted which
may give solid peace to the troubled spirit, I shall endeavor
to guide its inquiries as to the evidences of sincere repent-
ance and faith; (cliap. 13.) which will be farther illus-
trated by a more particular view of the several branches
of the Christian temper, such as may serve at once to as-
sist the reader in judging what he is, and to show him
\vhat he should labor to be. (chap. 14.) This will natu-
rally lead to a view of the need we have of the influences
of the blessed Spirit, to assist us in the important and dif-
ficult work of the true Christian, and of the encourage-
ment we have to hope for such Divine assistance, (chap.
15.) In an humble dependence on which, I shall then
enter on the consideration of several cases which often
occur in the Christian life, in which particular addresses
to the conscience may be requisite and useful.

9. As some peculiar difficulties and discouragements
attend the first entrance on a religious course, it will here
be our first care to animate the young convert against
them. (chap. 16.) And that it may be done more effec-
tually, I shall urge a solemn dedication of himself to God;
Tchap. 17.) to be confirmed by. entering into the com-
munion of the church, and an approach to the sacred ta-
ble, (chap. 18.) That these engagements may be more
happily fulfilled, we shall endeavor to draw a more par-
ticular plan of that devout, regular and accurate course,
which ought daily to be attended to. (chap. 19.) And
because the idea will probably rise so much higher than
what is the general practice, even of good men, we shall
endeavor to persuade the reader to make the attempt,
hard as it may seem, (chap. 20.) and shall caution him
against various temptations, which might otherwise draw
him aside to negligence and sin. (chap. 21.)

10. Happy will it be for the reader, if these exhorta-
tions and cautions be attended to with becoming regard;
but as it is, alas ! too probable, that, notwithstanding all,

Ch. 1.] PLAN OF THE WORK. 15

the infirmities of nature will sometimes prevail, we shall
consider the case of deadness and languor in religion,
which often steals upon us by insensible degrees; (chap.
22.) from whence there is too easy a passage to that terri-
ble one of a return into known and deliberate sin. (chap.
23.) And as the one or the other of these tends, in a
proportionable degree, to provoke the blessed God to hide
his face, and his injured Spirit to withdraw, that melan-
choly condition will be taken into particular survey, (chap.
24.) I shall then take notice also of the case of great and
heavy afflictions in life, (chap. 25.) a discipline which the
best of men have reason to expect, especially when they
backslide from God, and yield to their spiritual enemies.
11. Instances of this kind will, I fear, be too frequent;
yet, I trust, there will be many others, whose path, like
the dawning light, will " shine more and more unto the
perfect day." Prov. iv. 18. And therefore we shall en-
deavor, in the best manner we can, to assist the Christian
in passing a true judgment on the growth of grace in his
heart, (chap. 26.) as we had done before in judging of
its sincerity. And as nothing conduces more to the ad-
vancement of grace, than the lively exercise of love to
God, and a holy joy in him, we shall here remind the
real Christian of those mercies which tend to excite that
love and joy; (chap. 27.) and in the view of them, to
animate him to those vigorous efforts of usefulness in life,
which so well become his character, and will have so
happy an efficacy in brightening his crown, (chap. 28.)
Supposing him to act accordingly, we shall then labor to
illustrate and assist the delight with which he may look
forward to the awful solemnities of death and judgment,
(chap. 29.) And shall close the scene by accompanying
him, as it were, to the nearest confines of that dark val-
ley, through which he is to pass to glory; giving him such
directions as may seem most subservient to his honor-
ing God, and adorning religion, by his dying behaviour,
(chap. 30.) Nor am I without a pleasing hope, that,
through the Divine blessing and grace, I maybe, in some
instances, so successful as to leave those triumphing in
the views of judgment and eternity, and glorifying God
by a truly Christian life and death, whom I found trem-
bling in the apprehensions of future misery; or, perhaps.

16 PRAYER FOR SUCCESS OF THE WORK. [Ch. 1.

in a much more dangerous and miserable condition than
that : 1 mean entirely forgetting the prospect, and sunk in
the most stupid insensibility of those things, for an at-
tendance to which the human mind was formed, and in
comparison of which all the pursuits of this transitory life
are emptier than wind, and lighter than a feather.

12. Such a variety of heads must, to be sure, be han-
dled but briefly, as we intend to bring them within the
bulk of a moderate volume. I shall not, therefore, discuss
them as a preacher might properly do in sermons, in
which the truths of religion are professedly to be explain-
ed and taught, defended and improved, in a wide variety,
and long detail of propositions, arguments, objections, re-
plies, and inferences, marshalled and numbered under
their distinct generals. I shall here speak in a looser and
freer manner, as a friend to a friend ; just as I would do if
I were to be in person admitted to a private audience, by
one whom I tenderly loved, and whose circumstances and
character I knew to be like that which the title of one
chapter or another of this treatise describes. And when
I have discoursed with him a little while, which will
seldom be so long as half an hour, shall, as it were, step
aside, and leave him to meditate on what he has heard, or
endeavor to assist him in such fervent addresses to God,
as it may be proper to mingle with those meditations. In
the m.ean time, I will here take the liberty to pray over
my reader and my work, and to commend it solemnly to
the Divine blessing, in token of my deep conviction of an
entire dependence upon it. And I am well persuaded,
that sentiments like these are common, in the general, to
every faithful minister, to every real Christian.

A Prayer for the Success of this Work, in promoting the
Rise and Progress of Religion.

" 0 thou great eternal Original, and Author of all creat-
ed being and happiness ! I adore thee, who hast made
man a creature capable of religion, and hast bestowed
this dignity and felicity upon our nature, that it may be
taught to say, Where is God our maker ? Job, xxxv. 10.
I lament that degeneracy spread over the whole human
race, which has "turned our glory into shame," (Hos. iv.
7.) and has rendered the forgetfulness of God, unnatural
as it is, so common, and so universal a disease. Holy

Ch. 1.] PRAYER FOR SUCCESS OF THE WORK. 17

Father, we know it is thy presence, and thy teaching alone,
that can reclaim thy wandering children, can impress a
sense of Divine things on the heart, and render that sense
lasting and effectual. From thee proceed all good pur-
poses and desires ; and this desire, above all, of diffusing
wisdom, piety, and happiness in this world, which (though
sunk in such deep apostacy) thine infinite mercy has not
utterly forsaken.

" Thou ' knowest, 0 Lord, the hearts of the children of
men ;' (2 Chron. vi. 30.) and an upright soul, in the midst
of all the censures and suspicions it may meet with, re-
joices in thine intimate knowledge of its most secret sen-
timents and principles of action. Thou knowest the
sincerity and fervency with which thine unworthy servant
desires to spread the knowledge of thy name, and the
savour of thy Gospel, among all to whom this work may
reach. Thou knowest that, hadst thou given him an
abundance of this world, it would have been, in his esteem,
the noblest pleasure that abundance could have afforded,
to have been thine almoner, in distributing thy bounties to
the indigent and necessitous, and so causing the sorrowful
heart to rejoice in thy goodness, dispensed through his
hands. Thou knowest, that, hadst thou given him, either
by ordinary or extraordinary methods, the gift of healing,
it would have been his daily delight, to relieve the pains,
the maladies, and the infirmities of men's bodies ; to have
seen the languishing countenance brightened by returning
health and cheerfulness ; and much more to have beheld
the roving, distracted mind reduced to calmness and se-
renity, in the exercise of its rational faculties. Yet hap-
pier, far happier will he think himself, in those humble
circumstances in which thy providence hath placed him,
if thou vouchsafe to honour these his feeble endeavours,
as the means of relieving and enriching men's minds ; of
recovering them from the madness of a sinful state, and
bringing back thy reasonable creatures to the knowledge,
the service, and the enjoyment of their God ; or of im-
proving those who are already reduced.

" 0 may it have that blessed influence on the person, who-
soever he be, that is now reading these lines, and all who
may read or hear them ! Let not my Lord be angry, if I
presume to ask, that, however weak and contemptible this

18 PRAYER FOR SUCCESS OF THE WORK. [Ch. 1.

work may seem in the eyes of the children of this world,
and however imperfect it really be, as well as the author
of it unworthy, it may nevertheless live before thee ; and,
through a Divine power, be mighty to produce the rise and
progress of religion in the minds of multitudes in distant
places, and in generations yet to come ! Impute it not, 0
God, as a culpable ambition, if I desire, that, whatever
becomes of my name, about which I would not lose one
thought before thee, this work, to which I am now apply-
ing myself in thy strength, may be completed and propa-
gated far abroad : that it may reach to those that are yet
unborn, and teach them thy name and thy praise, when the
author has long dwelt in the dust ; that so, when he shall
appear before thee in the great day of final account, his
joy may be increased, and his crown brightened, by num-
bers before unknown to each other, and to him ! But if
this petition be too great to be granted to one who pre-
tends no claim but thy sovereign grace, to hope for being
favoured with the least, give him to be, in thine Almighty
hand, the blessed instrument of converting and saving one
soul; and if it be but one, and that the weakest and
meanest of those who are capable of receiving this address,
it shall be most thankfully accepted as a rich recompense
for all the thought and labour it may cost ; and though it
should be amidst a thousand disappointments with respect
to others, yet it shall be the subject of immortal songs of
praise to thee, O blessed God, for and by every soul,
whom, through the blood of Jesus and the grace of thy
Spirit, thou hast saved ; and everlasting honors shall be
ascribed to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, by the innumerable company of angels, and by the
general assembly and church of the first-born in heaven.
Amen,"

Ch. 2.] CARELESS SINNER AWAKENED. 19

CHAPTER II.

THE CARELESS SINNER AWAKENED.

I. 2. It is too supposeable a case that this Treatise may come into
such hands. — 3. 4. Sinrs many, not grossly vicious, fall under that
character. — 5. 6. j1 more particular illustration of this case, with an
appeal to the reader, whether it be not his own. — 7 to 9. JExjwstu-
lation with .such. — 10 to 12. More particularly — From acknoW'
ledged principles relating to the J\7iture of God, his universal pre-
sence, agency, and perfection. — 13. From a view of personal obli-
gations to him. — 14. From the danger of this neglect, when consi-
dered in its aspect on a future state. — 15. jln appeal to the con-
science as already convinced. — 16. Transition to the subject of the
next chapter. — The meditation of a sinner, who, having been long
thoughtless, begins to be awakened.

1. Shamefullv and fatally as religion is neglected in
the world, yet, blessed be God, it has some sincere disci-
ples, children of wisdom, by whom even in this foolish and
degenerate age, it "is justified:" (Matt. ix. 18.) who
having, by Divine grace, been brought to the knowledge of
God in Christ, have faithfully devoted their hearts to him,
and, by a natural consequence, are devoting their lives to
his service. Could I be sure this Treatise would fall into
no hands but theirs, my work would be shorter, easier, and
more pleasant.

2. But among the thousands that neglect religion, it is
more than probable that some of my readers may be in-
cluded ; and I am so deeply affected with their unhappy
case, that the temper of my heart, as well as the proper
method of my subject, leads me, in the first place, to ad-
dress myself to such : to apply to every one of them ; and
therefore to you, 0 reader, whoever you are, who may
come under the denomination of a careless sinner.

3. Be not, I beseech you, angry at the name. The phy-
sicians of souls must speak plainly, or they may murder
those whom they should cure. I would make no harsh
and unreasonable supposition. I would charge you with
nothing more than is absolutely necessary to convince you
that you are the person to whom I speak. I will not,
therefore, imagine you to be a profane and abandoned prof-
ligate. I will not suppose, that you allow yourself to blas-
pheme God, to dishonour his name by customary swearing,

20 MANY NOT GROSSLY VICIOUS. [Ch. 2.

or grossly to violate his Sabbath, or commonly to neglect
the solemnities of his public w^orship : I will not imagine
that you have injured your neighbours, in their lives, their
chastity, or their possessions, either by violence or by
fraud ; or that you have scandalously debased the rational
nature of man, by that vile intemperance which trans-
forms us into the worst kind of brutes, or something be-
neath them.

4. In opposition to all this, I will suppose that you be-
lieve the existence and providence of God, and the truth
of Christianity as a revelation from him : of which, if you
have any doubt, I must desire that you would immediate-
ly seek your satisfaction elsewhere.* I say, immediately ;
because not to believe it, is in effect to disbelieve it ; and
will make your ruin equally certain, though perhaps it may
leave it less aggravated, than if contempt and opposition
had been added to suspicion and neglect. But supposing
you to be a nominal Christian, and not a deist or a sceptic,
I wdll also suppose your conduct among men to be not only
blameless, but amiable; and that they who know you
most intimately, must acknowledge that you are just and
sober, humane and courteous, compassionate and liberal ;
yet, with all this, you may "lack that one thing" (Mark,
X. 21.) on which your eternal happiness depends.

5. I beseech you, reader, whoever you are, that you
w^ould now look seriously into your own heart, and ask it
this one plain question : Am I truly religious ? Is the love
of God the governing principle of my life ? Do I walk un-
der the sense of his presence ? Do I converse with him
from day to day, in the exercise of prayer and praise ? And
am I, on the whole, making his service my business and
my delight, regarding him as my master and my father?

6. It is my present business only to address myself to
the person whose conscience answers in the negative.
And I would address, w4th equal plainness and equal free-
dom, to high and low, to rich and poor : to you, who, as
the Scripture with a dreadful propriety expresses it, " live

* In such a case, I beg leave to refer the reader to my three ser-
mons on the evidence of Christianity, and the last of the ten on the
Power and Grace of Christ ; in which he may see the hitherto un-
shaken foundations of my own faith, in a short, and I hope a clear
view.

Ch. 2.] APPEAL TO THE READER. 21

without God in the world!" (Eph. ii. 12.) and while m
words and forms you " own God, deny him in your ac-
tions." (Tit. i. 16.) and behave yourselves in the main,
a few external ceremonies only excepted, just as you would
do if you believed and were sure there is no God. Un-
happy creature, whoever you are ! your own heart con-
demns you immediately ! and how much more that "God
who is greater than your heart, and knoweth all things."
1 John, iii. 20. He is in " secret," (Matt. vi. 6.) as well
as in public ; and vvords cannot express the delight with
which his children converse with him alone : but in secret
you acknowledge him not: you neither pray to him, nor
praise him, in your retirements. Accounts, corresponden-
ces, studies, may often bring you into your closet; but if
nothing but devotion were to be transacted there, it would
be to you quite an unfrequented place. And thus you go
on from day to day, in a continual forgetfulness of God,
and are as thoughtless about religion as if you had long
since demonstrated to yourself that it was a mere dream.
If, indeed, you are sick, you will perhaps cry to God for
health : in any extreme danger, you will lift up your eyes
and voice for deliverance : but as for the pardon of sin,
and the other blessings of the Gospel, you are not at all
inwardly solicitous about them; though you profess to be-
lieve that the Gospel is Divine, and the blessings of it
eternal. All your thoughts, and all your hours, are divid-
ed between the business and the amusements of life ; and
if now and then an awful providence, or a serious sermon
or book, awakens you, it is but a few days, or it may be a
few^ hours, and you are the same careless creature you
ever were before. On the whole, you act as if you were
resolved to put it to the venture, and at your own expense
to make the experiment, whether the consequences of ne-
glecting religion be indeed as terrible as its ministers and
friends have represented. Their remonstrances do indeed
sometimes force themselves upon you, as, (considering the*
age and country in which you live,) it is hardly possible
entirely to avoid them ; but you have, it may be, found out
tlie art of Isaiah's people, " hearing to hear, and not un-
derstand ; and seeing to see, and not perceive : your heart
is waxed gross, your eyes are closed, and your ears heavy."
Isa. vi. 9, 10. Under the very ordinances of worship

22 APPEAL TO THE READER. [Ch. 2.

your thoughts " are at the ends of the earth." Prov. xvii.
24. Every amusement of the imagination is welcome,
if it may but lead away your mind from so insipid and so
disagreeable a subject as religion. And probably the very
last time you were in a worshipping assembly, you mana-
ged just as you would have done if you had thought God
knew nothing of your behaviour or as if you did not think
it worth one single care whether he were pleased or dis-
pleased with it.

7. Alas ! is it then come to this, with all your belief of
God, and providence, and Scripture, that religion is not
worth a thought ? That it is not worth one hour's serious
consideration and reflection, " What God and Christ are,
and what you yourselves are, and what you must hereafter
be ?" Where then are all your rational faculties ? How
are they employed, or rather how are they stupified and
benumbed?

8. The certainty and importance of the things of which
I speak, are so evident, from the principles which you
yourselves grant, that one might almost set a child or an
idiot to reason upon them. And yet they are neglected
by those who are grown up to understanding, and per-
haps some of them to such refinement of understanding,
that they would think themselves greatly injured if they
were not to be reckoned among the politer and more
learned part of mankind.

9. But it is not your neglect. Sirs, that can destroy the
being or importance of such things as these. It may in-
deed destroy you, but it cannot in the least affect them.
Permit me, therefore, having been myself awakened, to
come to each of you, and say, as the mariners did to Jonah
while asleep in the midst of a much less dangerous storm,
"What meanest thou, 0 sleeper ? Arise and call upon
thy God." Jonah, i. 6. Do you doubt as to the reasonable-
ness or necessity of doing it ? " I will demand, and an-
swer me;" (Job, xxxviii. 3.) answer me to your own con-
science, as one that must, ere long, render another kind of
account.

10. You own that there is a God ; and well you may,
for you cannot open your eyes but you must see the evi-
dent proofs of his being, his presence, and his agency.
You behold him around you in every object. You feel

Ch. 2.] CARE AND PRESENCE OF GOD. 23

him withiu you, if I may so speak, in every vein, and in
every nerve. You see, and you feel, not only that he
hath formed you with an exquisite wisdom, which no mor-
tal man could ever fully explain or comprehend, but that
he is continually near you, wdierever you are, and how-
ever you are employed, by day or by night ; " in him you
live, and move, and have your being." Acts, xvii. 28. Com-
mon sense will tell you, that it is not your own wisdom,
and power, and attention, that causes your heart to beat,
and your blood to circulate ; that draws in and sends out
that breath of life, that precarious breath of a most uncer-
tain life, "that is in your nostrils." Isa. ii. 22. These
things are done when you sleep, as well as in those w^ak-
ing moments w^hen you think not of the circulation of
the blood, or of the necessity of breathing, or so much as
recollect that you have a heart or lungs. Now what is
this, but the hand of God, perpetually supporting and ac-
tuating those curious machines that he has made ?

11. Nor is this his care limited to you ; but if you look
all around you, far as your view can reach, you see it ex-
tending itself on every side : and, oh ! how much farther
than you can trace it! Reflect on the light and heat which
the sun every where dispenses ! on the air which surrounds
all our globe ; on the right temperature on which the life
of the whole human race depends, and that of all the in-
ferior creatures which dwell on the earth. Think of the
suitable and plentiful provisions made for man and beast;
the grass, the grain, the variety of fruits, and herbs, and
flowers ; every thing that nourishes us, every thing that de-
lights us , and say, whether it does not speak plainly and
loudly, that our Almighty Maker is near, and that he is
careful of us, and kind to us. And while all these things
proclaim his goodness, do not they also proclaim his power !
For what power has any thing comparable to that, which
furnishes out those gifts of royal bounty ; and which, un-
wearied and unchanged, produces continually, from day to
day, and from age to age, such astonishing" and magnifi-
cent eff'ects over the face of the whole earth, and through
all the regions of heaven !

12. It is then evident that God is present, present with
you at this moment; even God your Creator and Preserver,
God the Creator and Preserver of the whole visible and

24 PERSONAL OBLIGATIONS TO GOD. [Ch. 2

invisible world. And is he not present as a naost observant
and attentive being ? " He that formed the eye, shall not
he see ? He that planted the ear, shall not he bear ? He
that teaches man knowledge," that gives him his rational
faculties, and pours in upon his opening mind all the light
it receives by them, "shall not he know?" Psal. xciv. 9, 10.
He who sees all the necessities of his creatures so season-
ably to provide for them, shall he not see their actions too ;
and seeing, shall he not judge them ? Has he given us a
sense and discrimination of what is good and evil, of what
is true and false, of what is fair and deformed in temper
and conduct; and has he himself no discernment of these
things ? Trifle not with your conscience, which tells you
at once that he judges of it, and approves or condemns, as
it is decent or indecent, reasonable or unreasonable ; and
that the judgment which he passes is of infinite importance
to all his creatures.

13. And now to apply all this to your own case, let me
seriously ask you, is it a decent and reasonable thing, that
this great and glorious Benefactor should be neglected by
his rational creatures ? by those that are capable of attain-
ing to some knowledge of him, and presenting to him
some homage ? Is it decent and reasonable, that he should
be forgotten and neglected by vou ? Are you alone, of all
the works of his hands, forgotten or neglected by him ? 0
sinner, thoughtless as you are, you cannot dare to say that,
or even to think it. You need not go back to the helpless
days of your infancy and childhood to convince you of the
contrary. You need not, in order to this, recollect the
remarkable deliverances, which, perhaps, were wrought
out for you many years ago. The repose of the last night,
the refreshment and comfort you have received this day ;
yea, the mercies you are receiving this very moment, bear
witness to him ; and yet you regard him not. Ungrateful
creature that you are ! Could you have treated any human
benefactor thus ? Could you have borne to neglect a kind
parent, or any generous friend, that had but for a few
months acted the part of a parent to you ? to have taken
no notice of him while in his presence ; to have returned
him no thanks ; to have had no contrivances to make some
little acknowledgment for all his goodness ? Human na-
ture, bad as it is, is not fallen so low. Nay, the brutal

Ch. 2.] VIEW OF A FUTURE STATE. 25

nature is not so low as this. Surely every domestic ani-
mal around you must shame such ingratitude. If you do
but for a few days take a little kind notice of a dog, and
feed him with the refuse of your table, he will wait upon
you, and love to be near you ; he will be eager to follow
you from place to place, and when, after a little absence,
you return home, will try, by a thousand fond, transported
motions, to tell you how much he rejoices to see you again.
Nay, brutes far less sagacious and apprehensive, have some
sense of our kindness, and express it after their way : as
the blessed God condescends to observe, in this very view
in which I mention it, " The" dull " ox knows his owner,
and the" stupid " ass his master's crib." Isa. i. 3. What
lamentable degeneracy therefore is it, that you do not
know: that you, who have been numbered among God's
professed people, do not, and will not consider your num-
berless obligations to him.

14. Surely, if you have any ingenuousness of temper,
you must be ashamed and grieved in the review ; but if
you have not, give me leave farther to expostulate with
you on this head, by setting it in something of a different
light. Can you think yourself safe, while you are acting
a part like this ? Do you not in your conscience believe
there will be a future judgment? Do you not believe
there is an invisible and eternal world ? As professed
Christians, we all believe it; for it is no controverted
point, but displayed in Scripture with so clear an evidence,
that, subtle and ingenious as men are in error, they have
not yet found out a way to evade it. And believing this,
do you not see, that, while you are thus wandering from
God, " destruction and misery are in your way ?" Rom.
iii. 16. Will this fndolence and negligence of temper be
any security to you ? W^ill it guard you from death ? Will
it excuse you from judgment? You might much more
reasonably expect, that shutting your eyes would be a de-
fence against the rage of a devouring lion ; or that looking
another way should secure your body from being pierced
by a bullet or a sword. When God speaks of the extra-
vagant folly of some thoughtless creatures who would
hearken to no admonition now, he adds, in a very awful
manner, " In the latter day they shall consider it perfectly."
Jer. xxiii. 20. And is not this applicable to you ? Must

26 MEDITATION OF A SINNER, [Ch. 2.

you not, sooner or later, be brought to think of these things,
whether you will or not? And, in the mean time, do you
not certainly know, that timely and serious reflection upon
them is, through divine grace, the only way to prevent
your ruin ?

15. Yes, sinner, I need not multiply vv'ords on a sub-
ject like this. Your conscience is already inwardly con-
vinced, though your pride may be unwilling to own it
And to prove it, let me ask you one question more :
Would you, upon any terms and considerations whatever,
come to a resolution absolutely to dismiss all farther
thought of religion, and all care about it, from this day
and hour, and to abide the consequences of that neglect ?
I believe hardly any man living would be bold enough to
determine upon this. I believe most of my readers would
be ready to tremble at the thought of it.

16. But if it be necessary to take these things into con-
sideration at all, it is necessary to do it quickly ; for life
itself is not so very long, nor so certain, that a wise man
should risk much upon its continuance.

And I hope to convince you, when I have another
hearing, that it is necessary to do it immediately, and
that, next to the madness of resolving you will not think
of religion at all, is that of saying you will think of it
hereafter. In the mean time, pause on the hints which
have been already given, and they will prepare you to
receive what is to be added on that head.

The Meditation of a Sinner, loho was once thoughtless, hut
begins to be awakened.

" Awake, 0 my forgetful soul, awake from these wan
dering dreams. Turn thee from this chase of vanity, and
for a little while be persuaded by all these considerations,
to look forward, and to look upward, at least for a few
moments. Sufficient are the hours and days given to the
labours and amusements of life. Grudge not a short allot-
ment of minutes, to view thyself and thine own more im-
mediate concerns : to reflect who and what thou art, how
it comes to pass that thou art here, and what thou must
quickly be !

" It is indeed as thou hast seen it now represented. O

Ch. 2.] WHO BEGINS TO BE AWAKENED. 27

my soul ! tliou art the creature of God, formed and fur-
nished by him, and lodged in a body which he provided,
and which he supports; a body in which he intends thee
only a transitory abode. Oh ! think how soon this ' taber-
nacle' must be 'dissolved,' (2 Cor. v. 1.) and thou must
* return to God.' Eccles. xii. 7. And shall He, the One,
Infinite, Eternal, Ever-blessed, and Ever-glorious Being,
shall He be least of all regarded by thee ? Wilt thou live
and die wdth this character, saying, by every action of
every day, unto God, ' Depart from me, for I desire not
the knowledge of thy ways ?' Job, xxi. 14. The morning,
the day, the evening, the night, every period of time, has
its excuses for this neglect. But oh ! my soul, what will
these excuses appear, when examined by his penetrating-
eye ! They may delude me, but they cannot impose
upon him.

" 0 thou injured, neglected, provoked Benefactor!
When I think, but for a moment or two, of all thy great-
ness and of all thy goodness, I am astonished at this in-
sensibility, which has prevailed in my heart, and even still
prevails ; 1 ' blush and am confounded to lift up my face
before thee.' Ezra, ix. 6. On the most transient review,
I ' see that I have played the fool,' that ' I have erred
exceedingly.' 1 Sam. xxvi. 21. And yet this stupid heart
of mine would make its having neglected thee so long, a
reason for going on to neglect thee. I own it might justly
be expected, that, with regard to thee, every one of thy
rational creatures should be all duty and love ; that each
heart should be full of a sense of thy presence ; and that
a care to please thee should swallow up every other care.
Yet thou ' hast not been in all my thoughts ;' (Psal. x. 4.)
and religion, the end and glory of my nature, has been so
strangely overlooked, that I have hardly ever seriously
asked my own heart what it is. — I know, if matters rest
here, I perish ; yet I feel, in my perverse nature, a secret
indisposition to pursue these thoughts : a proneness, if
not entirely to dismiss them, yet to lay them aside for the
present. My mind is perplexed and divided ; but I am
sure, thou, who madest me, knowest what is best for me.
I therefore beseech thee that thou wilt, ' for thy Name's
sake, lead me and guide me.' Psal. xxxi. 3. Let me not
delay till it is for ever too late. * Pluck me as a brand out

28 MEDITATIONS OF A SINNER. [Ch. 2.

of the burning.' Amos, iv. 11. 0 break tbis fatal enchant-
ment that holds down my affection to objects which ray
judgment comparatively despises ! and let me, at length,
come into so happy a state of mind, that I may not be
afraid to think of thee, and of myself, and may not be
tempted to wish that thou liadst not made me, or that thou
couldst for ever forget me; that it may not be my best
hope, to perish like the brutes.

" If what I shall farther read here be agreeable to truth
and reason, if it be calculated to promote my happiness,
and is to be regarded as an intimation of thy will and
pleasure to me, O God, let me hear and obey ! Let the
words of thy servant, when pleading thy cause, be like
goads to pierce into my mind ! and let me rather feel, and
smart, than die ! Let them be ' as nails fastened in a sure
place;' (Eccl. xii. 4.) that, whatever mysteries as yet un-
known, or whatever difficulties there be in religion, if it
be necessary, I may not finally neglect it; and that, if it
he expedient to attend immediately to it, I may no longer
delay that attendance ! And, oh ! let thy grace teach me
the lesson I am so slow to learn, and conquer that strong
opposition which I feel in my heart against the very
thought of it ! Hear these broken cries, for the sake of
thy Son, who has taught and saved many a creature as un-
tractable as I, and can ' out of stones, raise up children unto
Abraham !' " Matt. iii. 9. Amen»

Cll.3.] REGARD TO RELIGION URGED.

CHAPTER III.

THE AWAKENED SIIVNER URGED TO IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATiaN,
AND CAUTIONED AGAINST DELAY.

1. Sinners, when awakened, inclined to dis7niss convictions for the
present. — 2. ^n immediate regard to religion urged. — 3. From the
excellence and pleasure of the thing itself. — 4. From the uncer-
tainty of that future time on which sinners presume, compared
zoith the sad conseqxtences of being cut off in sin. — 5, From the
immutability of God's present demands. — 6. From the tendency
which delay has to make a compliance with these demands more
difficult than it is at present. — 7. From the danger of God's with-
drawing his Spirit, compared with the dreadftd case of a sinner
given up by it — 8. Which probably is now the case of many. —
9. Since, therefore, on the ivhole, whatever the event be, delays may
prove matter of lamentation. — 10. The chapter concludes with an
exhortation against yielding to them. And a prayer against temp-
tations of that kind,

1. I HOPE my last address so far awakened the convic-
tions of my reader, as to bring hiai to this purpose, " that
some time or other he would attend to religious considera-
tions." But give me leave to ask, earnestly and pointedly,
When shall that be ? " Go thy way for this time, when
I have a convenient season I will call for thee," (Acts,
xxiv. 25.) was the language and ruin of unhappy Felix,
when he trembled under the reasonings and expostula-
tions of the apostle. The tempter presumed not to urge
that he should give up all thoughts of repentance and re-
formation ; but only that, considering the present hurry of,
his affairs, (as no doubt they were many,) he should defer
it to another day. The artifice succeeded, and Felix was
undone.

2. Will you, reader, dismiss me thus ? For your own
sake, and out of tender compassion to your perishing, im-
mortal soul, I would not willingly take up with such a
dismission and excuse. No, not though you shall fix a
time; though you shall determine on the next year, or
month, or week, or day. I would turn upon you, with all
the eagerness and tenderness of friendly importunity, and
entreat you to bring the matter to an issue even now. For
if you say, " I will think on these things to-morrow," I
shall have little hope ; and shall conclude, that all that I

30 UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE. [Ch. 3.

have hitherto urged, and all that you have read, has been
offered and viewed in vain.

3. When I invite you to the care and practice of reli-
gion, it may seem strange that it should be necessary for
me affectionately to plead the cause with you, in order to
your immediate regard and compliance. What I am invit-
ing you to is so noble and excellent in itself, so well worthy
of the dignity of our rational nature, so suitable to it, so
maaly, and so wise, that one would imagine you should
take fire, as it were, at the first hearing of it ; yea, that so
delightful a view should presently possess your whole soul
with a kind of indignation against yourself, that you pur-
sued it no sooner. — " May I lift up my eyes and my soul
to God ! May I devote myself to him ! May I even now
commence a friendship with him : a friendship, which shall
last for ever, the security, the delight, the glory of this im-
mortal nature of mine ! And shall I draw back and say,
Nevertheless, let me not commence this friendship too
soon : let me live at least a few weeks or a few days longer
without God in the world." Surely it would be much
more reasonable to turn inward, and say, " 0 my soul, on
what vile husks hast thou been feeding, while thy Heavenly
Father has been forsaken and injured ? Shall I desire to
multiply the days of my poverty, my scandal, and my mi-
sery ?" On this principle, surely an immediate return to
God should in all reason be chosen, rather than to play the
fool any longer, and go on a little more to displease God,
and thereby starve and wound your own soul ! even though
your continuance in life were ever so certain, and your ca-
pacity to return to God and your duty ever so entirely in
your own power, now, and in every future moment, through
scores of years yet to come.

4. But who, and what are you, that you should lay
your account for years, or for months to come ? " What
is your life ? Is it not even as a vapour, that appeareth for
a little time, and then vanisheth away ?" James, iv. 14.
And what is your security, or what is your peculiar war-
rant, that you should thus depend upon the certainty of
its continuance ? and that so absolutely as to venture, as
it were, to pawn your soul upon it ? Why, you will per-
haps say, " I am young, and in all my bloom and vigour ;
I see hundreds about me who are more than double my

Ch. 3.] DYING UNPREPARED. 31

age, and not a few of them who seem to think it too soon
to attend to religion yet."

Yon view the living, and you talk thus. But I beseech
you, think of the dead. Return, in your thoughts, to those
graves in which you have left some of your young com-
panions and your friends. You saw them awhile ago gay
and active, warm with life, and hopes, and schemes. Anif
some of them would have thought a friend strangely im-
portunate, that should have interrupted them in their bu-
siness, and their pleasures, with a solemn lecture on death
and eternity. Yet they were then on the very borders of
both. You have since seen their corpses, or at least their
coffins, and probably carried about with you the badges of
mourning which you received at their funerals. Those
once vigorous, and perhaps beautiful bodies of theirs, now
lie mouldering in the dust, as senseless and helpless as the
most decrepid pieces of human nature which fourscore
years ever brought down to it. And, what is infinitely
more to be regarded, their souls, whether prepared for this
great change, or thoughtless of it, have made their appear-
ance before God, and aie at tliis moment fi\:ed, either in
heaven or in hell. Now let me seriously ask you, would
it be miraculous, or would it be strange, if such an event
should befall you ? How are you sure that some fatal dis-
ease will not this day begin to work in your veins ? How
are you sure that you shall ever be capable of reading or
thinking any more, if you do not attend to what you now
read, and pursue the thought which is now offering itself
to your mind ? This sudden alteration may at least pos-
sibly happen ; and if it does, it will be to you a terrible
one indeed. To be thus surprised into the presence of a
forgotten God ; to be torn away, at once, from a world to
which your whole heart and soul has been rivetted : a
world which has engrossed all your thoughts and cares,
all your desires and pursuits; and be fixed in a state
which you never could be so far persuaded to think of, as
to spend so much as one hour in serious preparation for
it: how must you even shudder at the apprehension of it,
and with what horror must it fill you ? It seems matter
of wonder, that in such circumstances you are not almost
distracted with the thoughts of the uncertainty of life, and
are not even ready to die for fear of death. To trifle with

32 WORK DIFFICULT BY DELAY. [Ch. 3.

God any longer, after so solemn an admonition as this,
would be a circumstance of additional provocation, which,
after all the rest, might be fatal ; nor is there any thing
you can expect in such a case, but that he should cut you
off immediately, and teach other thoughtless creatures, by
your ruin, what a hazardous experiment they make whei
tney act as you are acting.

5. And will you, after all, run this desperate risk ? For
what imaginable purpose can you do it ? Do you think
the business of religion will become less necessary, or
more easy, by your delay ? You know that it will not.
You know, that, whatever the blessed God demands now,
he will also demand twenty or thirty years hence, if you
should live to see the time. God has fixed hi& method, in
which he will pardon and accept sinners in his Gospel.
And will he ever alter that method ? Or if he will not,
can men alter it? You like not to think of repenting, and
humbling yourself before God, to receive righteousness
and life from his free grace in Christ ; and you, above all,
dislike the thought of returning to God in the ways of holy
obedience. But will he ever dispense with any of these,
and publish a new Gospel, with promises of life and sal-
vation to impenitent unbelieving sinners, if they will but
call themselves Christians, and submit to a few external
rites ? How long do you think you might wait for such
a change in the constitution of things ? You know death
will come upon you, and you cannot but know, in your
own conscience, that a general dissolution will come upon
the world long before God can thus deny himself, and con-
tradict all his perfections and all his declarations.

6. Or if his demands continue the same, as they as-
suredly will, do you think any thing which is now dis-
agreeable to you in them, will be less disagreeable here-
after than it is at present ? Shall you love to sin less, when
it is become more habitual to you, and when your con-
science is yet more enfeebled and debauched ? If you are
running with the footmen and fainting, shall you be able
" to contend with the horseman ?" Jer. xii. 5. Surely you
cannot imagine it. You would not say, in any distemper
which threatened your life, " I will stay till I grow a little
worse, and then I will apply to a physician : 1 will let my
disease get a little more rooting in my vitals, and then I

Ch. 3.] WORK DIFFICULT Br DELAY. 33

will try what can be done to remove it." No, it is only
where the life of the soul is concerned, that men think thus
wildly : the life and health of the body appear too precious
to be thus trifled away.

7. If, after such desperate experiments, you are ever re-
covered, it must be by an operation of Divine grace on
your soul, yet more powerful and more wonderful in pro-
portion to the increasing inveteracy of your spiritual mala-
dies. And can you expect that the Holy Spirit should be
more ready to assist you, in consequence of your having
so shamefully trifled with him, and affronted him ? He is
now, in some measure, moving on your heart. If you
feel any secret relentings in it upon what you read, it is a
sign that you are not yet utterly forsaken. But who can
tell, whether these are not the last touches he will ever
give to a heart so long hardened against him ? Who can
tell, but God may this day " swep,r, in his wrath, that you
shall not enter into his rest ?'' Heb. iii. IS. I have been
telling you that you may immediately die. You own it is
possible you may. And can you think of any thing more
terrible ? Yes, sinner, I will tell you of one thing more
dreadful than immediate death and immediate damnation.
The blessed God may say, " As for that wretched creature,
who has so long trifled with me and provoked me, let him
still live : let him live in the midst of prosperity and plenty:
let him live under the purest and the most powerful ordi-
nances cf the Gospel too ; that he may abuse them to aggra-
vate his condemnation, and die under sevenfold gHKlt, and
a sevenfold curse. I will not give him the grace to think
of his ways for one serious moment more ; but he shall go
on from bad to v/orse, filling up the measure of his iniqui-
ties, till death and destruction seize him in an unexpect-
ed hour, and ' wrath come upon him to the uttermost.' "
1 Thess. ii. 16.

8. You think this is an uncommon case ; but I fear it is
much otherwise. I fear there are few congregations,
where the word of God has been faithfully preached, and
where it has long been despised, especially by those
whom it had once awakened, in which the eye of God
does not see a number of such wretched souls ; though it
is impossible for us, in this mortal state, to pronounce upon
the case who they are.

2*

34 PRAYER UNDER CONVICTION. [Ch. 3.

9. I pretend not to say how he will deal with you, 0
reader ! whether he will immediately cut you off, or seal
you up under final hardness and impenitency of heart, or
whether his grace may at length awaken you to consider
your ways, and return to him, even when your heart is
grown yet more obdurate than it is at present. For to his
Almighty grace nothing is hard, not even to transform a
rock of marble into a man or a saint. But this I will con-
fidently say, that, if you delay any longer, the time will
come vvhen you will bitterly repent of that delay, and
either lament it before God in the anguish of your heart
here, or curse your own folly and madness in hell ; yea,
when you will wish, that, dreadful as hell is, you had
rather fallen into it sooner, than have lived in the midst of
so m.any abused mercies, to render the degree of your
punishment more insupportable, and your sense of it more
exquisitely tormenting.

10. I do therefore earnestly exhort you, in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the worth, and, if I may so
speak, by the blood of your immortal and perishing soul,
that you delay not a day, or an hour longer. Far from
" giving sleep to your eyes, or slumber to your eyelids,"
(Prov. vi. 4.) in the continued neglect of this important
concern, take with you, even now, " words, and turn
unto the Lord :" (Hos. xiv. 2.) and before you quit the
place where you now are, fall upon your knees in his sa-
cred presence, and pour out your heart in such language,
or at least to some such purpose as this :

A Prayer for one ivho is tempted to delay applying to Religion, though
under some conviction of its importance.

" 0 thou righteous and holy Sovereign of heaven and
earth ! thou God, ' in whose hand my breath is, and whose
are all my ways !' Dan. v. 23. I confess I have been far
from glorifying thee, or conducting myself according to the
intimations or the declarations of thy will. I have there-
fore reason to adore thy forbearance and goodness, that
thou hast not long since stopped my breath, and cut me
off from the land of the living. I adore thy patience, that
I have not, months and years ago, been an inhabitant of
hell, where ten thousand delaying sinners are now lament-
ing their folly, and will be lamenting it for ever. But, O

Ch. 3.] PRAYER UNDER CONVICTION. 35

God, how possible is it, that this trifling heart of* mine
may at length betray me into the same ruin! and then,
alas ! into a ruin aggravated by all this patience and for-
bearance of thine ! I am convinced, that, sooner or later,
religion must be my serious care, or I am undone. And
yet my foolish heart draws back from the yoke ; yet I
stretch myself upon the bed of sloth, and cry out for ' a
little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more fold-
ing of the hands to sleep.' Prov. vi. 10. Thus does my
corrupt heart plead for its own indulgence against the
conviction of my better judgment. What shall I say? O
Lord, save me from myself! Save me from the artifices
and deceitfulness of sin ! Save me from the treachery of
this perverse and degenerate nature of mine, and fix upon
my mind what I have now been reading !

" 0 Lord, I am not now instructed in truths which were
before quite unknown. Often have I been warned of the
uncertainty of life, and the great uncertainty of the day
of salvation. And I have formed some light purposes, and
have begun to take a few irresolute steps in my way to-
ward a return to thee. But, alas ! I have been only, as
it were, fluttering about religion, and have never fixed
upon it. All my resolutions have been scattered like
smoke, or dispersed like a cloudy vapour before ihe wind.

0 that thou wouidst now bring these things home to my
heart, witli a more powerful conviction than it hath ever
yet felt ? O that thou wouldst pursue me with them, even
when I flee from them ! If I should even grow mad enough
to endeavour to escape them any more, may thy Spirit ad-
dress me in the language of effectual terror, and add all
the most povv'erful methods which thou knowest to be
necessary, to awaken me from this lethargy, vvhich must
otherwise be mortal ! May the sound of these things be
in mine ears ' when I go out, and when I come in, when

1 lie down, and when I rise up !' Deut. vi. 7. And if the
repose of the night, and the business of the day, be for a
while interrupted by the impression, be it so, 0 God ! if I
may but thereby carry on my business with thee to better
purpose, and at length secure a repose in thee, instead of
all that terror which I now find, when ' I think upon God,
and am troubled.' Psal. Ixxvii. 3.

" 0 Lord, ^ my flesh trembieth for fear of thee and I

36 SINNER CONTICTED. [Ch. 4.

am afraid of thy judgments.' Psal. cxix. 120. I am afraid
lest, even now that I have begun to think of religion, thou
shouldst cut me off in this critical and important moment,
before my thoughts grow to any ripeness, and blast, in
eternal death, the first buddings and openings of it in my
mind. But O spare me, I earnestly entreat thee : for thy
mercies' sake, spare me a little longer ! It may be, through
thy grace, I shall return. It may be, if thou continuest thy
patience toward me a while longer, there may be ' some
better fruit produced by this cumberer of the ground.'
Luke, xiii. 7, 8. And may the remembrance of that long
forbearance, which thou hast already exercised toward
me, prevent my continuing to trifle with thee, and with
my own soul ! From this day, O Lord, from this hour,
from this moment, may I be able to date more lasting im-
pressions of religion, than have ever yet been made upon
my heart by all that I have ever read, or all that I have
heard. Amen."

CHAPTER IV.

THE SINNER ARRAIGNED AND CONVICTED.

1. Conviction of guilt necessary — 2. j1 charge of rehellion against God
advanced. — 3. Where it is shown — tliat all men are horn under
God^s laiv. — 4. That no man hath perfectly kept it. — 5. ^n appeal
to the reader^s conscience on this head, that he hath not. — 6. That
to have broken it, is an evil inexpressibly great. — 7. Illustrated by
a more particular view of the aggravations of this guilt, arising —
frorn knowledge. — 8. From divine favours received. — 9. From con-
victions of conscience overborne. — 10. From the strivirigs of God's
Spirit resisted. — 11. From vows and resolutions broken. — 12. The
charges sunwied up, and left upon the sinner^s conscience. The
sinner^ s confession under a general conviction of guilt.

1. As I am attempting to lead you to true religion, and
not merely to some superficial form of it, I am sensible I
can do it no otherwise than in the way of deep humilia-
tion. And therefore, supposing you are persuaded, through
the divine blessing on what you have before read, to take
it into consideration, I would now endeavour, in the first
place, with all the seriousness I can, to make you heartily
sensible of your guilt before God. For I well know, that,

Ch. 4.] SINNER CONVICTED. 37

unless you are convinced of this, and affected with the
conviction, all the provisions of Gospel grace vt^ill be
slighted, and your soul infallibly destroyed, in the midst
of the noblest means appointed for its recovery. I am fully
persuaded, that thousands live and die in a course of sin,
without feeling upon their hearts any sense that they are
sinners, though they cannot, for shame, but own it in
words. And therefore let me deal faithfully with you,
though I may seem to deal roughly j for complaisance is
not to give law to addresses in which the life of your soul
is concerned.

2. Permit me therefore, O sinner, to consider myself at
this time as an advocate for God, as one employed in his
name to plead against thee, and to charge thee with no-
thing less than being a rebel and a traitor against the So-
vereign Majesty of heaven and earth. However thou
raayest be dignified or distinguished among men : if the
noblest blood run in thy veins ; if thy seat were among
princes, and thine arm were " the terror of the mighty in
the land of the living," (Ezek. xxxii. 27.) it would be ne-
cessary thou shouldst be told, and told plainly, thou hast
broken the laws of the King of kings, and by the breach
of them art become obnoxious to his righteous condem-
nation.

3. Your conscience tells you, that you were born the
natural subject of God, born under the indispensable obli-
gations of his law. For it is most apparent, that the con-
stitution of your rational nature, which makes you capable
of receiving law from God, binds you to obey it. And it
is equally evident and certain, that you have not exactly
obeyed this law, nay, that you have violated it in many
aggravated instances.

4. Will you dare to deny this ? Will you dare to assert
your innocence ? Remember it must be a complete inno-
cence ; yes, and a perfect righteousness too, or it can stand
you in no stead, farther than to prove, that, though a con-
demned sinner, you are not quite so criminal as some
others, and will not have quite so hot a place in hell as
they. And when this is considered, will you plead not
guilty to the charge ? Search the records of your own
conscience, for God searcheth them : ask it seriously,
" Have you never in your life sinned against God ?" So-

88 SINNER CONVICTED. [Ch. 4.

lomon declared, that in his days " there was not a just
man upon earth, who did good and sinned not;" (Eccles.
vii. 20.) and the apostle Paul, " that all had sinned and
come short of the glory of God," (Rom. iii. 23.) "that
both Jews and Gentiles (which, you know, comprehend
the whole human race) were all under sin." Rom. iii. 9.
And can you pretend any imaginable reason to believe the
world is grown so much better since their days, that any
should now plead their own case as an exception ? Or will
you, however, presume to arise in the face of the omni-
scient Majesty of heaven, and say, 1 am the man ?

5. Supposing, as before, you have been free from those
gross acts of immorality, which are so pernicious to society,
that they have generally been punishable by human laws;
can you pretend that you have not, in smaller instances,
violated the rules of piety, of temperance, and charity ? Is
there any one person, who has intimately known you, that
would not be able to testify you had said or done some-
thing amiss ? Or if others could not convict you, would
not your own heart do it ? Does it not prove you guilty
of pride, of passion, of sensuality, of an excessive fondness
of the world and its enjoyments ? of murmuring, or at least
of secretly repining against God, under the strokes of an
afflictive providence; cf misspending a great deal of your
time ; abusing the gifts of God's bounty, to vain, if not,
in some instances, to pernicious purposes ; of mocking
him when you have pretended to engage in his worship,
" drawing near to him with your mouth and your lips,
while your heart has been far from him ?" Isa. xxix. 13.
Does not conscience condemn you of some one breach of
the law at least ? And by one breach of it, you are, in a
sense, a scriptural sense, " become guilty of all," (Jam.
ii. 10.) and are as incapable of being justified before God,
by any obedience of your own, as if you had committed
ten thousand offences. But, in reality, there are ten thou-
sand, and more, chargeable to your account. When you
come to reflect on all your sins of negligence, as well as
on those of commission ; on all the instances in which
you have " failed to do good, when it was in the power of
your hand to do it;" (Prov. iii. 27.) on all the instances
in which acts of devotion have been omitted, especially in
secret ; and on all those cases in which you have shovni

Ch. 4.J EVIL OF OFFENDING GOD. 39

a stupid disregard to the honour of God, and to the tem-
poral and eternal happiness of your fellow-creatures : when
all these, I say, are reviewed, the number will swell be-
yond all possibility of account, and force you to cry out,
'^ Mine iniquities are more than the hairs of ray head."
Psalm xl. 12. They will appear in such alight before you,
that your own heart will charge you with countless multi-
tudes; and how much more "then, that God, who is greater
than your heart, and knoweth all things." 1 John, iii. 20.
6. And say, sinner, is it a little thing, that you Lave
presumed, to set light by the authority of the God of hea-
ven, and to violate his law, if it had been by mere care-
lessness and inattention ? How much more heinous, there-
fore, is the guilt, when in so many instances you have done
it knowingly and wilfully? Give me leave seriously to
ask you, and let me entreat you to ask your own soul,
" against whom hast thou magnified thyself? against whom
hast thou exalted thy voice," (2 Kings, xix. 22.) or " lifted
up thy rebellious hand ?" On whose law, O sinner, hast
thou presumed to trample ? and whose friendship, and
whose enmity, hast thou thereby dared to affront? Is it a
man like thyself, that thou hast insulted ? Is it only a
temporal monarch ? Only one '' who can kill thy body,
and then hath no more that he can do ?" Luke, xii. 4.

Nay, sinner, thou wouldst not have dared to treat a
temporal prince as thou hast treated the " King Eternal,
Immortal," and " Invisible." 1 Tim. i. 17. No price could
have hired thee to deal by the majesty of an earthly sove-
reign, as thou hast dealt by that God, before whom the
cherubim and seraphim are continually bowing. Not one
opposing or complaining, disputing or murmuring word, is
heard among all the celestial legions, when the intimations
of his will are published to them. And who art thou, O
wretched man ! who art thou, that thou shouldst oppose
him ? That thou shouldst oppose and provoke a God of
infinite power and terror, who needs but exert one single
act of his sovereign will, and thou art in a moment stripped
of every possession ; cut off from every hope ; destroyed
iind rooted up from existence, if that were his pleasure-,
or, what is inconceivably vvorse, consigned over to the
severest and most lasting agonies ? Yet this is the God
whom thou hast offended, whom thou hast affronted to

40 HEINOUSNESS OF SIN. [Ch. 4.

his face, presuming to violate his express laws in his very-
presence. This is the God, before whom thou standest
as a convicted criminal : convicted, not of one or two
particular offences, but of thousands and ten thousands ;
of a course and series of rebellion and provocations, in
which thou hast persisted, more or less, ever since thou
wast born, and the particulars of which have been at-
tended with almost every conceivable circumstance of
aggravation. Reflect on particulars, and deny the charge
if you can.

7. If knowledge be an aggravation of guilt, thy guilt,
O sinner, is greatly aggravated ! For thou wast born in
Emmanuel's land, and God hath "written to thee the great
things of his law," yet " thou hast accounted them as a
strange thing." Hos. viii. 12. Thou hast " known to do
good, and hast not done it;" (James, iv. 17.) and there-
fore to thee the omission of it has been sin indeed. " Hast
thou not known r Hast thou not heard .^" Isa. xl. 28.
Wast thou not early taught the will of God ? Hast thou
not since received repeated lessons, by which it has been
inculcated again and again, in public and in private, by
preaching and reading the word of God ? Nay, hath not
thy duty been in some instances so plain, that, even with-
out any instruction at all, thine own reason might easily
ha^'e inferred it .'' An 1 hast thou not also been warned of
the consequences of aibobedienre ? Hast thcu not " knowu
the righteous judgment of Gcd, that they who commit such
things are worthy of death .^" Yet thou hast, perhaps, ^' net
only done the same, but hast had pleasure in those that do
them :" (Rom. i. 32.) hast chosen them for thy most inti-
mate friends and companions ; so as thereby to strengthen,
by the force of example and converse, the hands of each
other in your iniquities.

8. Nay more, if Divine love and mercy be any aggrava-
tion of the sins committed against it, thy crimes, O sinner,
are heinously aggravated. Must thou not acknowledge
it, 0 foolish creature and unwise t Hast thou not been
" nourished and brought up by him as his child, and yet
hast rebelled against him .^" Isa. i. 2. Did not God " take
you out of the womb .^" Psal. xxii. 9. Did he not watch
over you in your infant days, and guard you from a mul-
titude of dangers, which the most careful parent or nurse

Ch. 4.] HEINOUSNESS OF SIN. 41

could not have observed or warded off? Has he not given
you youT rational powers ? and is it not by him you have
been favoured with every opportunity of improving them ?
Has he not every day supplied your wants with an unwea-
ried liberality, and added, with respect to many who will
read this, the delicacies of life to its necessary supports ?
Has he not " heard your cry when trouble came upon you ?"
(Job, xxvii. 9.) and frequently appeared for your deliver-
ance, when in the distress of nature you have called upon
him for help ? Has he not rescued you from ruin, when
it seemed just ready to swallow you up; and healed your
diseases, when it seemed to all about you, that the " resi-
due of your days was cut off in the midst ?" Psal. cii. 24.
Or, if it has not been so, is not this long-continued and
uninterrupted health, which you have enjoyed for so many
years, to be acknowledged as an equivalent obligation ?
Look around upon all your possessions, and say, what one
thing have you in the world which his goodness did not
give you, and which he hath not thus far preserved to you ?
Add to all this, the kind notices of his will which he hath
sent you ; the tender expostulations which he hath used
with you, to bring you to a wiser and better temper; and
the discoveries and gracious invitations of his Gospel,
which you have heard, and which you have despised ;
and then say, whether your rebellion has not been aggra-
vated by the vilest ingratitude, and whether that aggrava-
tion can be accounted small ?

9. Again, if it be any aggravation of sin to be committed
against conscience, thy crimes, 0 sinner ! have been so
aggravated. Consult the records of it ; and then dispute
the fact if you can. " There is a spirit in man, and the
inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding;"
(Job, xxxii. 8.) and that understanding will act, and a se-
cret conviction of being accountable to its Maker and Pre-
server is inseparable from the actings of it. It is easy to
object to human remonstrances, and to give things false
colourings before men ; but the heart often condemns,
while the tongue excuses. Have you not often found it
so ? Has not conscience remonstrated against your past
conduct, and have not these remonstrances been very pain-
ful too ? I have been assured, by a gentleman of undoubted
credit, that, when he was in the pursuit of all the gayest

42 CONSCIENCE STIFLED. [Cll. 4.

sensualities of life, and was reckoned one of the liappiest
of mankind, he has seen a dog come into the room where
he was among his merry companions, and has groaned in-
wardly, and said, "Oh! that I had been that dog!" And
hast thou, 0 sinner, felt nothing like this ? Has thy con-
science been so stupified, so " seared with a hot iron,"
(1 Tim. iv. 2.) that it has never cried out, for any of the
violences which have been done it ? Has it never warned
thee of the fatal consequences of Vv'hat thou hast done in
opposition to it? These warnings are, in etFect, the voice
of God; they are the admonitions which he gave thee by
his vicegerent in thy breast. And when his sentence for
thy evil works is executed upon thee in everlasting death,
thou shalt hear that voice speaking to thee again, in a
louder tone, and a severer accent, than before ; and thou
shalt be tormented with its upbraidings through eternity,
because thou wouldst not, in time, hearken to its admo-
nitions.

10. Let me add farther, if it be any aggravation that sin
has been committed after God has been moving by his
Spirit on the mind, surely your sin has been attended with
that aggravation too. Under the Mosaic dispensation,
dark and imperfect as it was, the Spirit strove with the
Jews ; else Stephen could not have charged it upon them,
that through all their generations " they had always re-
sisted him." Acts, vii. 51. Now, surely, we may much
more reasonably apprehend that he strives with sinners
under the Gospel. And have you never experienced any
thing of this kind, even when there has been no external
circumstance to awaken you, nor any pious teacher near
you ? Have you never perceived some secret impulse
upon your mind, leading you to think of religion, urging
you to an immediate consideration of it, sweetly inviting
you to make trial of it, and warning you, that you would
lament this stupid neglect ? 0 sinner, why were not these
happy motions attended to ? Why did you not, as it were,
spread out all the sails of your soul, to catch that hea-
venly, that favourable breeze ? But you have carelessly
neglected it : you have overborne these kind influences.
How reasonably then might the sentence have gone forth
in righteous displeasure, " My Spirit shall no more strive."
Gen. vi. 3. And indeed, who can say that it is not alrea-

Ch, 4.] HOLY SPIRIT RESISTED. 43

dy gone forth ? If you feel no secret agitation of mind, no
remorse, no awakening, while you read such a remon-
strance as this, there will be room, great room to suspect it.

11. There is indeed one aggravation more, which may
not attend your guilt: I mean, that of being committed
against solemn covenant engagements : a circumstance
which has lain heavy on the consciences of many, who
perhaps in the main series of their lives have served God
with great integrity. But let me call you to think, to
what this is owing. Is it not, that you have never per-
sonally made any solemn profession of devoting yourself
to God at all ? have never done any thing, which has ap-
peared to your ov/n apprehension an act by which you
have made a covenant with him, though you have heard so
much of his covenant, though you have been so solemnly
and so tenderly invited to it? And in this view, how mon-
strous must this circumstance appear, which at first was
mentioned as some alleviation of guilt ! Yet I must add,
that you are not, perliap?, altogether so free from guilt on
this head as you may at first imagine. Has your heart
been, even from your youth, hardened to so uncommon a
degree, that you have never cried to God in any season of
danger and ditSculty? And did you never mingle vov/s
with those cries ? Did you never promise, that, if God
would hear and help you in that hour of extremity, you
would forsake your sins, and serve him as long as you
lived ? He heard and helped you, or j^ou had not been
reading these lines; and, by such deliverance, did as it
were bind down your vows upon you; and therefore your
guilt, in the violation of them, remains before him, though
you are stupid enough to forget them. Nothing is forgot-
ten, nothing is overlooked by him ; and the day will come,
when the record shall be laid before you too.

12. And now, 0 sinner, think seriously v,ith thyself,
what defence thou wilt make to all this ! Prepare thine
apology ; call thy witnesses ; make thine appeal from him,
whom thou hast thus offended, to some superior judge, if
such there be. Alas ! those apologies are so weak and
vain, that one of thy fellow-worms may easily detect and
confound them ; as I v^ill endeavour presently to show
thee. But thy foreboding conscience already knows the
issue. Thou art convicted, convicted of the most aggra-

44 CONVINCED sinner's CONFESSION. [Ch. 4.

vated offences. Thou " hast not humbled thine heart, but
Jifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven ," (Dan. v.
22, 23.) and "thy sentence shall come forth from his pre-
sence." Psalm xvii. 2. Thou hast violated his known laws ;
thou hast despised and abused his numberless mercies ;
thou hast affronted conscience, his vicegerent in thy soul;
thou hast resisted and grieved his Spirit; thou hast trifled
with him in all thy pretended submissions ; and, in one
word, and that his own, "thou hast done evil things as
thou couldst." Jer. iii. 5. Thousands are, no doubt,
already in hell, whose guilt never equalled thine ; and it
is astonishing, that God hath spared thee to read this re-
presentation of thy case, or to make any pause upon it. 0
w^aste not so precious a moment, but enter attentively,
and as humbly as thou canst, into those reflections which
suit a case so lamentable and so terrible as thine.

The Confession of a Sinner, convinced in general of his Guilt.

" 0 God I thou injured Sovereign, thou all-penetrating
and Almighty Judge! what shall I say to this charge?
Shall I pretend I am wronged by it, and stand on the de-
fence in thy presence ? I dare not do it ; for ' thou know-
est my foolishness, and none of my sins are hid from thee.'
Psalm Ixix. 5. My conscience tells me, that a denial of my
crimes would only increase them, and add new fuel to the
fire of thy deserved wrath, ' If I justify myself, mine own
mouth will condemn me ; if I say I am perfect, it will also
prove me perverse ;' (Job, ix. 20.) ' for innumerable evils
have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken
hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up : they are,'
as I have been told in thy name, 'more than the hairs of
my head ; therefore my heart faileth me.' Psalm xl. 12. I
am more guilty than it is possible for another to declare
or represent. My heart speaks more than any other ac-
cuser. And thou, 0 Lord, art much greater than my heart,
and knowest all things. 1 John, iii. 20.

"What has my life been but a course of rebellion
against thee ? It is not this or that particular action alone
I have to lament. Nothing has been right in its princi-
ples, and views, and ends. My whole soul has been dis-
ordered. All my thoughts, my affections, my desires, my

Ch. 4.] CONVINCED sinner's confession. 45

pursuits, have been wretchedly alienated from thee. I
have acted as if I had hated thee, who art infinitely the
loveliest of all beings ; as if I had been contriving how I
might tempt thee to the uttermost, and weary out thy pa-
tience, marvellous as it is. My actions have been evil,
my words yet more evil than they ! and, 0 blessed God,
my heart, how much more corrupt than either ! What an
inexhausted fountain of sin has there been in it ! A foun-
tain of original corruption, which mingled its bitter streams
with the days of early childhood ; and which, alas ! flows
on even to this day, beyond what actions or words could
express. I see this to have been the case with regard to
what I can particularly survey. But, oh ! how many
months and years have I forgotten, concerning which I
only know this in the general, that they are much like
those I can remember; except it be, that I have been
growing worse and worse, and provoking thy patience
more and more, though every new exercise of it was more
and more wonderful.

"And how am I astonished that thy forbearance is still
continued ! It is because thou art ' God, and not man.'
Hos. xi. 9. Had I, a sinful worm, been thus injured, I
could not have endured it. Had I been a prince, I had
long since done justice on any rebel whose crimes had
borne but a distant resemblance to mine. Had I been a
parent, I had long since cast off the ungrateful child who
had made me such a return as I have all my life long been
making to thee, 0 thou Father of my spirit ! The flame
of natural aff'ection would have been extinguished, and his
sight and his very name would have become hateful to me.
Why, then, 0 Lord, am I not ' cast out from thy presence ?'
Jer. Hi. 3. Why am I not sealed up under an irreversible
sentence of destruction ? That I live, I owe to thine indul-
gence. But, oh ! if there be yet any way of deliverance,
if there be yet any hope for so guilty a creature, may it be
opened upon me by thy Gospel and thy grace ! And if any
farther alarm, humiliation, or terror, be necessary to my
security and salvation, may I meet them, and bear them
all ! Wound my heart, 0 Lord, so that thou wilt but after-
wards ' heal it ;' and break it in pieces, if thou wilt but at
length condescend to bind it up." Hos. vi. 1,

46 SINKER STRIPPED OF EXCUSES. [Ch. 6

CHAPTER V.

THK SINNER STRIPPED OF HIS VAIN PLEAS.

1. 2. The vanity of those pleas which sinners may secretly confide
in, is so apparent, that they iclll be ashamed at last to mention
them before God. — 3. Such as, that they descended from pious
parents. — 4. That they had atteiuled to the speculativc.part of reli-
gion.—5. That they had entertained sound notions. — 6. 7. That
they had expressed a zealous regard to reUg-io7i, and attended the
outward forms of worship with those they apprehended the purest
churches. — 8. That they had been free from gross immoralities. —
9. That they did not think the consequences of neglecting religion
would have been so fatal. — 10. That they could not do otherwise
than they did. — 11. Conclusion. With the meditation of a con-
vinced sinner giving up his vain pleas before God.

1. My last discourse left the sinner in very alarming
and very pitiable circumstances : a criminal convicted at
the bar of God, disarmed of all pretences to perfect inno-
cence and sinless obedience, and consequently obnoxious
to the sentence of a holy law, which can make no allow-
ance for any transgression, no not for the least ; but pro-
nounces death and a curse against every act of disobe-
dience : how much more then against those numberless and
aggravated acts of rebellion, of which, 0 sinner I thy
conscience hath condemned thee before God ? I would
hope some of ray readers will ingenuously fall under
the conviction, and not think of making any apology ; for
sure I am, that, humbly to plead guilty at the divine bar,
is the most decent, and, all things considered, the most
prudent tiling that can be done in such an unhappy state.
Yet I know the treachery, and the self-flattery of a sinful
and corrupted heart. I know what excuses it makes, and
how, when it is driven from one refuge, it flies to another,
to fortify itself against conviction, and to persuade, not
merely another, but itself, " That if it has been in some
instances to blame, it is not quite so criminal as was re-
presented; that there are at least considerations that plead
in its favour, which, if they cannot justify, will in some
degree excuse." A secret reserve of this kind, sometimes
perhaps scarcely formed into a distinct reflection, breaks
the force of conviction, and often prevents that deep hu-

Ch. 5.] SINNER STRIPPED OF EXCUSES. 47

miliation before God, which is the happiest token of ap-
proaching deliverance. I will therefore examine into some
of these particulars ; and for that purpose would seriously
ask thee, O sinner ! what thou hast to offer in arrest of
judgment ? What plea thou canst urge for thyself, why
the sentence of God should not go forth against thee, and
why thou shouldst not fall into the hands of his justice ?

2. But this I must premise, that the question is not,
How wouldst thou answer to me, a weak sinful worm like
thyself, who am shortly to stand with thee at the same
bar? and "the Lord grant that I may find mercy of the
Lord in that day ;" (2 Tim. i. 18.) but, what wilt thou re-
ply to thy Judge ? What couldst thou plead, if thou wast
now actually before his tribunal ; where, to multiply vaia
words, and to frame idle apologies, would be but to in-
crease thy guilt and provocation? Surely the very thought
of his presence must supersede a thousand of those trifling
excuses which now sometimes impose on " a generation
that are pure in their own eyes," though they " are not
washed from their lilthiness !" (Prov. xxx. 12.) or while
they are conscious of their impurities, " trust in words that
cannot profit," (Jer. vii. 8.) and " lean upon broken
reeds." Isa. xxxvi. 6.

3. You will not, to be sure, in such a condition, plead
" that you are descended from pious parents." That was
indeed your privilege ; and wo be to you, that you have
abused it, and " forsaken the God of your fathers." 2
Chron. vii. 22. Ishmael was immediately descended from
Abraham, the friend of God, and Esau was the son of
Isaac, who was born according to the promise ; yet you
know they were both cut off from the blessing, to which
they apprehended they had a kind of hereditary claim.
You may remember that our Lord does not only speak of
one who could call "Abraham father," who was "tor
mented in flames;" (Luke, xvi. 24.) but expressly declares,
that many of the children of the kingdom shall be shut
out of it; and when others come from the most distant
parts to sit down in it, shall be distinguished from their
companions in misery only by louder accents of lamenta-
tion, and more furious " gnashing of teeth." Matt. viii.
11, 12.

4. Nor will you then presume to plead, " that you had

48 SINNER STRIPPED OF EXCUSES. [Ch. 5.

exercised your tboughts about the speculative parts of re-
ligion." For to what end can this serve, but to increase
your condemnation ? Since you have broken God's law,
since you have contradicted the most obvious and apparent
obligations of religion, to have inquired into it, and argued
upon it, is a circumstance that proves your guilt more au-
dacious. What! did you think religion was merely an
exercise of men's wit, and the amusement of their curi-
osity ? If you argued about it on the principles of common
sense, you must have judged and proved it to be a prac-
tical thing ; and if it was so, why did you not practise ac-
cordingly ? You knew the particular branches of it ; and
why then did you not attend to every one of them ? To
have pleaded an unavoidable ignorance, w^ould have been
the happiest plea that could have remained for you ; nay,
an actual, though faulty ignorance, would have been some
little allay of your guilt. But if, by your own confession,
you have " known your Master's will, and have not done
it," you bear witness against yourself, that you deserve to
be "beaten with many stripes." Luke, xii. 47.

5. Nor yet, again, will it suffice to say, " that you have
had right notions both of the doctrines and the precepts of
religion." Your advantage for practising it was therefore
the greater ; but understanding, and acting right, can never
go for the same thing in the judgment of God or of man.
In " believing there is one God," you have done well ;
but the " devils also believe and tremble." James, ii. 19.
In acknowledging Christ to be the Son of God and the
Holy One, you have done well too ; but you know the un-
clean spirits made this very orthodox confession ; (Luke,
iv. 34, 41.) and yet they are "reserved in everlasting
chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great
day." Jude, ver. 6. And will you place any secret confi-
dence in that which might be pleaded by the infernal
spirits, as well as by you ?

6. But perhaps you may think of pleading, that " you
have actually done something in religion." Having judg-
ed what faith was the soundest, and what worship the
purest, " you entered yourself into those societies, where
such articles of faith were professed, and such forms of
worship were practised ; and among these you have sig-
nalized yourself, by the exactness of your attendance, by

Ch. 5.] SINNER STRIPPED or nsioTTgES. 49

the zeal with which you have espoused their cause, and
by the earnestness with which you have contended for
such principles and practices." 0 sinner! I much fear
that this zeal of thine about the circumstantials of religion,
will swell thine account, rather -than be allowed in abate-
ment of it. He that searches thine heart, knows from
whence it arose, and how far it extended. Perhaps he
sees that it was all hypocrisy, an artful veil under which
thou wast carrying on thy mean designs for this world ;
while the sacred name of God and religion were profaned
and prostituted in the basest manner ; and if so, thou art|
cursed with a distinguished curse, for so daring an insult
ou the Divine omniscience, as well as justice. Or perhaps
the earnestness with which you have been " contending
for the faith and worship which was once delivered to the
saints,*' (Jude, ver. 3.) or vvhich, it is possible, you may
have rashly concluded to be that, might be mere pride and
bitterness of spirit; and all the zeal you have expressed
might possibly arise from a confidence of your own judg-
ment, from an impatience of contradiction, or some secret
malignity of spirit, which delighteth itself in condemning,
and even in worrying others ; yea, which, if I may be
allowed the expression, fiercely preys upon religion, as the
tiger upon the lamb, to turn it into a nature most contrary
to its own. And shall this screen you before the great
tribunal ? Shall it not rather awaken the displeasure it is
pleaded to avert ?

7. But say that this zeal for notions and forms has been
ever so well intended, and, so far as it has gone, ever so
well conducted too ; what will that avail toward vindi-
cating thee in so many instances of negligence and diso-
bedience, as are recorded against thee in the book of God's
remembrance ? Were the revealed doctrines of the Gos-
pel to be earnestly maintained, (as indeed they ought,)
and was the great practical purpose for which they were
revealed to be forgot ? Was the very mint, and anise, and
cummin, to be tithed ; and were " the weightier matters
of the law to be omitted," (Matt, xxiii. 23.) even that
love to God, which is its "first and great command?"
Matt. xxii. 38. Oh ! how wilt thou be able to vindicate
even the justest sentence thou hast passed on others
for their infidelity, or for their disobedience, without

60 SINNER sTnirrj3.JL» OF KAUUSES. [Ch. 5

being "condemned out of thine own mouth?" Luke,
xix. 22.

8. Will you then plead " your fair moral character, your
works of righteousness and of mercy?" Had your obe-
dience to the law of God been complete, the plea might
be allowed as important and valid. But I have supposed,
and proved above, that conscience testifies to the contrary j
and you will not now dare to contradict it. I add farther,
had these works of yours, which you now urge, proceed-
ed from a sincere love to God, and a genuine faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ, you would not have thought of plead-
ing them any otherwise than as an evidence of your inte-
rest in the Gospel-covenant, and in the blessings of it,
procured by the righteousness and blood of the Redeemer ;
and that faith, had it been sincere, would have been at-
tended with such deep humility, and with such solemn ap-
prehensions of the Divine holiness and glory, that, instead
of pleading any works of your own before God, you would
rather have implored his pardon for the mixture of sinful
imperfection attending the very best of them. Now, as
you are a stranger to this humbling and sanctifying princi-
ple, (which here in this address I suppose my reader to
be,) it is absolutely necessary you should be plainly and
faithfully told, that neither sobriety, nor honesty, nor hu-
manity, will justify you before the tribunal of God, when
he " lays judgment to the line, and righteousness to the
plummet," (Isai. xxviii. 17.) and examines all your actions
and all your thoughts with the strictest severity. You
have not been a drunkard, an adulterer, or a robber. So
far it is well. Yoti stand before a righteous God, who
will do you ample justice, and therefore will not condemn
you for drunkenness, adultery, or robbery ; but you have
forgotten him, your Parent, and your Benefactor ; you
have " cast off fear, and restrained prayer before him ;"
(Job, XV. 4.) you have despised the blood of his Son, and
all the immortal blessings that he purchased with it. For
this, therefore, you are judged, and condemned. And as
for any thing that has looked like virtue anci humanity in
your temper and conduct, the exercise of it has in great
measure been its own reward, if there were any thing
more than form and artifice in it ; and the various boun-
ties of Divine Providence to you, amidst all your number-
less provocations, have been a thousand times more than

Ch. 5.] SINNER STRIPPED OF EXCUSES. 51

an equivalent for such defective and imperfect virtues as
these. You remain therefore chargeable with the guilt of
a thousand offences, for which you have no excuse, though
there are some other instances in which you did not grossly
offend. And those good works, in which you have been
so ready to trust, will no more vindicate you in his awful
presence, than a man's kindness to his poor neighbours
would be allowed as a plea in arrest of judgment, when
he stood convicted of high treason against his prince.

9. But you will, perhaps, be ready to say, " you did not
expect all this : you did not think the consequences of ne-
glecting religion would have been so fatal." And why did
you not think it ? Why did you not examine more atten-
tively, and more impartially? Why did you suffer the pride
and folly of your vain heart to take up with such super-
ficial appearances, and trust the light suggestions of your
own prejudiced mind against the express declaration of the
word of God ? Had you reflected on his character as the
supreme Governor of the world, you would have seen the
necessity of such a day of retribution as we are now refer-
ring to. Had you regarded the Scripture, the divine autho-
rity of which you professed to believe, every page might
have taught you to expect it. " You did not think of reli-
gion !" and of what were you thinking, when you forgot
or neglected it ? Had you so much employment of another
kind ? Of what kind, I beseech you ? What end could you
propose, by any thing else, of equal moment ? Nay, with
all your engagements, conscience will tell you, that there
have been seasons, when, for want of thought, time and
life have been a burden to you ; yet you guarded against
thought as against an enemy, and cast up, as it were, an
entrenchment of inconsideration around you on every side,
as if it had been to defend you from the most dangerous
invasion. God knew you were thoughtless ; and therefore
he sent you " line upon line, and precept upon precept,'*
(Isai. xxviii. 10.) in such plain language, that it needed
no genius or study to understand it. He tried you too with
afflictions, as well as with mercies, to awaken you out of ,
your fatal lethargy; and yet, when awakened, you would
lie down again upon the bed of sloth. And now, pleasing
as your dreams might be, '^ you must lie down in sorrow."
Isai. 1. 11. Reflection has at last overtaken you, and must be
beard as a tormentor, since it might not be heard as a friend.

62 SINNER STRIPPED OF EXCUSES. [Ch. 6.

^ 10. But some may perhaps imagine, that one important
apology is yet unheard, and that there may be room to say,
*' you were, by the necessity of your nature, impelled to
those things which are now charged upon you as crimes;
and that it was not in your power to have avoided them, in
the circumstances in which you were placed.'' If this will
do any thing, it indeed promises to do much : so much that
it will amount to nothing. If I were disposed to answer you^,
upon the folly and madness of your own principles, I might
say, that the same consideration, which proves it was ne-
cessary for you to offend, proves also that it is necessary for
God to punish you ; and that, indeed, he cannot but do it ;
and I might farther say, with an excellent writer, " that the
same principles which destroy the injustice of sins, destroy
the injustice of punishment too." But if you cannot admit
this ; if you should still reply, in spite of principle, that
it must be nnjust to punish you for an action utterly and
absolutely unavoidable; I really think you would answer
right. But in that answer you will contradict your own
scheme, as I observed above ; and I leave your conscience
to judge, what sort of a scheme that must be which would
make all kind of punishment unjust : for the argument will
on the whole be the same, whether with regard to human
punishment, or divine. It is a scheme full of confusion and
horror. You would not, I am sure, take it from a servant
who had robbed you, and then fired your house : you would
never inwardly believe, that he could not have helped it;
or think that he had fairly excused himself by such a plea :
and I am persuaded, you would be so far from presuming
to offer it to God at the great day, that you would not ven-
ture to turn it into a prayer even nov/. Imagine that you
saw a malefactor dying with such words as these in his
mouth : " 0 God ! it is true, I did indeed rob and murder
my fellow-creatures ; but thou knowest, that, as my cir-
cumstances were ordered, I could not do otherwise : my
will was irresistibly determined by the motives vrhich thou
didst set before me; and I could as well have shaken the
foundations of the earth, or darkened the sun in the firma-
ment, as have resisted the impulse which bore me on." I
put it to your conscience, whether you would not look on
such a speech as this with detestation, as one enormity
added to another. Yet, if the excuse would have any

Ch. 5.] MEDITATION OF A CONVINCED SINNER. 63

weight in your mouth, it would have equal weight in his;
or would be equally applicable to any, the most shocking
occasions. But indeed it is so contrary to the plainest prin-
ciples of common reason, that I can hardly persuade my-
self, that any one could seriously and thoroughly believe
it; and should imagine my time very ill employed here,
if I were to set myself to combat those pretences to argu-
• raent, by which the wantonness of human wit has at-
tempted to varnish it over.

11. You see then, on the whole, the vanity of all your
pleas, and how easily the most plausible of them might be
silenced by a mortal man like yourself: how much more
then by Him, who searches all hearts, and can, in a mo-
ment, flash in upon the conscience a most powerful and
irresistible conviction ? What then can you do, while you
stand convicted in the presence of God ? What should you
do, but hold your peace under an inward sense of your
inexcusable guilt, and prepare yourself to hear the sen-
tence which his law pronounces against you ? You must
feel the execution of it, if the Gospel does not at length
deliver you ; and you must feel something of the terror of
it, before you can be excited to seek to that Gospel for
deliverance.

The Meditation of a convinced Sinner, giving up his vain
pleas before God,

" Deplorable condition to which I am indeed reduced!
I have sinned, and ' what shall I say unto thee, 0 thou
Preserver of men ?' Job, vii. 20. What shall I dare to say?
Fool that I was, to amuse myself with such trifling ex-
cuses as these, and to imagine they could have any weight
in thy tremendous presence, or that I should be able so
much as to mention them there. I cannot presume to do
it. I am silent and confounded : my hopes, alas ! are slain,
and my soul itself is ready to die too, so far as an immortal
soul can die ; and I am almost ready to say, O that it could
die entirely ! I arw indeed a criminal in the hands of jus-
tice, quite disarmed, and stripped of the weajDons in which
I trusted. Dissimulation can only add provocation to pro-
vocation. I will therefore plainly and freely own it. I
have acted as if I thought God was * altogether such a one

54 MEDITATION OF A CONVINCED SINNER. [Ch. 5.

as myself:' but he hath said, * I will reprove thee ; I will
set thy sins in order before thine eyes :' (Psal. 1. 21.) will
marshal them in battle array. And, oh ! what a terrible
kind oS host do they appear ? and how do they surround
me beyond any possibility of an escape ! O my soul ! they
have, as it were, taken thee prisoner, and they are bearing
thee away to the divine tribunal.

" Thou must appear before it ! thou must see the awful,
the eternal Judge, who ^ tries the very reins,' (Jer. xvii. 10.)
and who needs no other evidence, for he has ' himself been
witness to all thy rebellion.' Jer. xxix. 23. Thou must
see him, 0 my soul ! sitting in judgment upon thee ; and,
when he is strict to ' mark iniquity,' (Psal. exxx. 3.) how
wilt thou * answer him for one of a thousand !' Job, ix. 3.
And if thou canst not answer him, in what language will
he speak to thee ! Lord, as things at present stand, I can
expect no other language than that of condemnation. And
what a condemnation is it ! Let me reflect upon it ! Let me
read my sentence before I hear it finally and irreversibly
passed. I know be has recorded it in his word, and I know,
in the general, that the representation is made with a gra-
cious design. I know that he would have us alarmed, that
we may not be destroyed. Speak to me, therefore, 0 God !
while thou speakest not for the last time, and in circum-
stances when thou wilt hear me no more. Speak in the
language of eff'ectual terror, so that it be not to speak me
into final despair. And let thy word, however painful in
its operation, be ' quick and powerful, and sharper than
any two-edged sword.' Heb. iv. 12. Let me not vainly
flatter myself, let me not be left a wretched prey to those
who would * prophecy smooth things to me,' (Isai. xxx. 10.)
till I am sealed up under wrath, and feel thy justice piercing
my soul, and ' the poison of thine arrows drinking up all
my spirits.' Job, vi. 4.

" Before I enter upon the particular view, I know, in
the general, that ' it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands
of the living God.' Heb. x. 31. 0 thou living God ! in one
sense 1 am already fallen into thine hands. I am become
obnoxious to thy displeasure, justly obnoxious to it ; and
whatever thy sentence may be, when it comes forth from
thy presence, (Psal. xvii. 2.) I must condemn myself, and
justify thee. Thou canst not treat me with more severity

Ch. 6.] SINNER SENTENCED. 55

than mine iniquities have deserved ; and how bitter soever
that cup of trembling may be, (Isai. li. 17.) which thou
shalt appoint for me, I give judgment against myself, that
I deserve * to wring out the very dregs of it.' " Psal. Ixxv. 8.

CHAPTER VI.

THE SINxVER SENTENCED.

. 2. The sinner called upon to hear his senteyice. — 3. Ootids law does
now in general pronounce a curse. — 4. It pronounces death. —
5. And being turned into hell. — 6. The judgment-day shall comt. —
7. 8. The solemnity of that grand process described according
to scriptural representations of it. — 9. With a particular illustra-
'tion of the sentence, " Depart accursed," fyc. — 10. The execution
will certainly and immediately follow. — 11. The sinner warned to
prepare for enduring it. The reflection of a sinner struck with
the terror of his sentence.

:, (Job, xlii. 4.)
yet once more, as in the name of God, of God thine
Almighty Judge, who, if thou dost not attend to his ser-
vants, will, ere long, speak unto thee in a more immediate
manner, with an energy and terror which thou shalt not
be able to resist.

2. Thou hast been convicted, as in his presence. Thy
pleas have been overruled, or rather, they have been si-
lenced. It appears before God, it appears to thine own
conscience, that thou hast nothing more to offer in arrest
of judgment; therefore hear thy sentence, and summon
up, if thou canst, all the powers of thy soul to bear the ex-
ecution of it. " It is," indeed, " a very small thing to be
judged of man's judgment ;" but " he who now judgeth
thee is the Lord." 1 Cor. iv. 3, 4. Hear, therefore, and
tremble, while I tell thee how He will speak to thee ; or
rather, while I show thee, irom express Scripture, how
he doth even now speak, and what is the authentic and
recorded sentence of his word, even of His word, who
hath said, -'Heaven and earth shall pass away; but not
one tittle of my word shall ever pass away," Matt. v. 18.

3. The law of God speaks not to thee alone, 0 sinner!
nor to thee by any particular address ; but in a most uui'

66 SINNER SENTENCED* [Ch. 6

versal language, it speaks to all transgressors, and levels
its terrors against all offences, great or small, without any
exception. And this is its language : " Cursed is every one
that continueth not in all things which are written in the
book of the law to do them." Gal. iii. 10. This is its voice
to the whole world ; and this it speaks to thee. Its awful
contents are thy personal concern, 0 reader ! and thy con-
science knows it. Far from continuing in all things that
are written therein to do them, thou canst not but be sensi-
ble that " innumerable evils have encompassed thee about."
Psalm xl. 12. It is then manifest, thou art the man whom
it condemns : thou art even now " cursed with a curse,"
as God emphatically speaks, (Mai. iii. 9.) with the curse
of the Most High God ; yea, " all the curses which are
written in the book of the law" are pointed against thee.
Deut. xxix. 20. God may righteously execute any of them
upon thee in a moment ; and though thou at present feel-
est none of them, yet, if infinite mercy do not prevent, it
is but a little while, and they will " come into thy bowels
like water," till thou art burst asunder with them, and
shall penetrate " like oil into thy bones." Psalm cix. 18.
4. Thus saith the Lord, " The soul that sinneth, it shall
die." Ezek. xviii. 4. But thou hast sinned, and therefore
thou art under a sentence of death. And, O unhappy crea-
ture, of what a death ! What will the end of these things
be ? That the agonies of dissolving nature shall seize thee ;
and thy soul shall be torn away from thy languishing body,
and thou " return to the dust from whence thou wast ta-
ken." Psal. civ. 29. This is indeed one awful effect of sin.
In these affecting characters has God, through all nations
and all ages of men, written the awful register and memo-
rial of his holy abhorrence of it, and righteous displeasure
against it. But, alas ! all this solemn pomp and horror of
dying is but the opening of the dreadful scene. It is a
rough kind of stroke, by which the fetters are knocked off,
when the criminal is led out to torture and execution.

5. Thus saith the Lord, " The wicked shall be turned
into hell, even all the nations that forget God." Psal. ix.
17. Though there be whole nations of them, their multi-
tudes and their power shall be no defence to them. They
shall be driven into hell together: into that flaming prison^
which divine vengeance hath prepared : into " Tophet,

Ch. 6.] JUDGMENT DAY WILL COME. 57

which is ordained of old, even for royal sinners," as well
as for others ; so little can any human distinction protect !
" He hath made it deep and large : the pile thereof is fire
and much wood ; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of
brimstone, shall kindle it;" (Isai. xxx. 33.) and the flaming
torrent shall flow in upon it so fast, that it shall be turned
into a sea of liquid fire ; or, as the Scripture also expresses
it, " a lake burning with fire and brimstone" for ever.
Rev. xxi. 8. " This is the second death ;" and the death
to which thou, O sinner ! by the word of God art doomed.

6. And shall this sentence stand upon record in vain ? Shall
the law speak it? and the Gospel speak it? And shall it
never be pronounced more audibly ? And will God never
require and execute the punishment? He will, O sinner!
require it, and he will execute it, though he may seem for
a while to delay. For well dost thou know, that " he
hath appointed a day in which he will judge the" whole
*^ world in righteousness, by that Man whom he hath
ordained, of which he hath given assurance in having
raised him from the dead." xicts, xvii. 31. And when
God judgeth the world, 0 reader ! whoever thou art, he
will judge thee. And while I remind thee of it, I would
also remember that he will judge me. And " knowing the
terror of the Lord," (2 Cor. v. 11.) that I may "deliver
my own soul," (Ezek. xxxiii. 9.) I would, with all plain-
ness and sincerity, labour to deliver thine.

7. I therefore repeat the solemn warning : Thou, O sin-
ner ! shalt "stand before the judgment-seat of Christ."
2 Cor. V. 10. Thou shalt see that pompous appearance,
the description of which is grown so familiar to thee, that
the repetition of it makes no impression on thy mind.
But surely, stupid as thou now art, the shrill trumpet of
the arch-angel shall shake thy very soul ; and if nothing
else can awaken and alarm thee, the convulsions and
flames of a dissolving w^orld shall do it.

8. Dost thou really think, that the intent of Christ's
final appearance is only to recover his people from the
grave, and to raise them to glory and happiness ? What-
ever assurance thou hast that there shall be "a resurrec-
tion of the just," thou hast the same, that there shall also
be " a resurrection of the unjust:" (Acts, xxiv. 15.) that
" he shall separate" the rising dead " one from another,

68 JUDGMENT DAT AWFUL. [Ch. 6.

as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats," (Matt.
XXV. 32.) with equal certainty, and with infinitely greater
ease. Or can you imagine, that he will only make an
example of some flagrant and notorious sinners, when it
is said, that " all the dead," both " small and great," shall
"stand before God;" (Rev. xx. 12.) and that even "he
who knew not his Master's will," and consequently seems
of all others to have had the fairest excuse for his omis-
sion to obey it, yet even "he," for that very omission,
" shall be beaten," though " with fewer stripes ?" Luke,
xii. 48. Or can you think that a sentence, to be delivered
with so much pomp and majesty, a sentence by which the
righteous judgment of God is to be revealed, and to have
its most conspicuous and final triumph, will be inconsider-
able, or the punishment to which it shall consign the sinner
be slight or tolerable ? There would have been little rea-
son to apprehend that, even if we had been left barely to
our own conjectures what that sentence should be. But
this is far from being the case : our Lord Jesus Christ, in his
infinite condescension and compassion, has been pleased
to give us a copy of the sentence, and no doubt a most ex-
act copy; and the words which contain it are worthy of
being inscribed on every heart. " The King," amidst all
the splendour and dignity in which he shall then appear,
" shall say unto those on his right hand, Come, ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world !" Matt. xxv. 34. And
" where the word of a king is, there is power" indeed.
Eccles. viii. 4. And these words have a power, which
may justly animate the heart of the humble Christian
under the most overwhelming sorrow, and may fill him
"with joy unspeakable, and full of glory." 1 Pet. i. 8.
To be pronounced the blessed of the Lord ! to be called
to a kingdom ! to the immediate, the everlasting inherit-
ance of it; and of such a kingdom ! so well prepared, so
glorious, so complete, so exquisitely fitted for the delight and
entertainment of such creatures, so formed and so renew-
ed, that it shall appear worthy the eternal counsels of God
to have contrived it, worthy his eternal love to have pre-
pared it, and to have delighted himself with the views of
bestowing it upon his people : behold a blessed hope
indeed ! a lively, glorious hope, to which we are " begot-

Ch. 6.] JUDGMENT DAY AWFUL. 59

ten again by the resurrection of Christ from the dead,"
(1 Pet. i. 3.) and formed by the sanctifying influence of
the Spirit of God upon our minds. But it is a hope
from which thou, 0 sinner ! art at present excluded ; and
methinks that it might be grievous to reflect : " These
gracious words shall Christ speak to some ; to multitudes ;
but not to me : on me there is no blessedness pronounced ;
for me there is no kingdom prepared." But is that all?
Alas ! sinner, our Lord hath given thee a dreadful coun-
terpart to this. He has told us what he will say to thee,
if thou continuest what thou art : to thee, and all the na-
tions of the impenitent and unbelieving world, be they
ever so numerous, be the rank of particular criminals ever
so great. He shall say to the " kings of the earth," who
have been rebels against him, to " the great and rich
men, and tlie chief captains and the mighty men," as well
as to "every bondman and every freeman" of inferior
rank, (Rev. vi. 15.) " Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."
Matt. XXV. 41. Oh ! pause upon these weighty words,
that thou mayest enter into something of the importance
of them.

9. He will say, "Depart:" you shall.be driven from
his presence with disgrace and infamy : " from him," the
source of life and blessedness, in a nearness to whom all
the inhabitants of heaven continually rejoice; you shall
"depart," accursed : you have broken God's law, and its
curse falls upon you ; and you are and shall be under that
curse, that abiding curse: from that day forward you shall
be regarded by God, and all his creatures, as an accursed
and abominable thing, as the most detestable, and the most
miserable part of the creation. You shall go "into fire;"
and, oh ! consider into what fire ! Is it merely into one
fierce blaze which shall consume you in a moment, though
with exquisite pain ? That were terrible. But, oh ! such
terrors are not to be named with these. Thine, sinner,
"is everlasting fire." It is that which our Lord hath, in
such awful terms, described as prevailing there, " where
their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched ;" and
then says a second time, " where their worm dieth not,
and the fire is net quenched ;" and again, in wonderful
compassion, a third time, " where their worm dieth notj

60 ILLUSTRATION OF THE SENTENCE. [Ch. 6.

and the fire is not quenched." Mark, ix. 44, 46, 48. Nor
•was it originally prepared, or principally intended for you :
it was "prepared for the devil and his angels :" for those
first grand rebels, who were immediately upon their fall
doomed to it; and since you have taken part with them in
their apostacy, you must sink with them into that flaming
ruin ; and sink so much the deeper, as you have despised
the Saviour, who was never offered to them. These
must be your companions, and your tormentors, wdth
whom you must dwell for ever. And is it I that say this ?
or says not the law and the Gospel the same ? Does not
the Lord Jesus Christ expressly say, who is the "faithful
and true witness," (Rev. iii. 14.) even he who himself is
to pronounce the sentence ?

10. And when it is thus pronounced, and pronounced
by him, shall it not also be executed ? Who could imagine
the contrary ? Who could imagine there should be all this
pompous declaration to fill the mind only with vain terror,
and that this sentence should vanish into smoke ? You may
easily apprehend that this would be a greater reproach to
the Divine administration, than if sentence were never to
be passed. And therefore we might easily have inferred
the execution of it, from the process of the preceding judg-
ment. But lest the treacherous heart of a sinner should
deceive him with so vain a hope, the assurance of that
execution is immediately added in very memorable terms.
It shall be done : it shall immediately be done. Then, on
that very day, while the sound of it is yet in their ears,
"the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment;"
(Matt. XXV. 46.) and thou, 0 reader ! whoever thou art,
being found in their number, shalt go away with them ;
shalt be driven on among all these wretched multitudes,
and plunged with them into eternal ruin. The wide gates
of hell shall be open to receive thee; they shall be shut
upon thee for ever, to enclose thee, and be fast barred, by
the Almighty hand of divine justice, to prevent all hope,
all possibility of escape for ever.

11. And now, "prepare" thyself "to meet the Lord
thy God." Amos, iv. 12. Summon up all the resolution
of thy mind to endure such a sentence, such an execution
as this ; for " he will not meet thee as a man ;" (Isai. xlvii.
30.) whose heart may sometimes fail him when about to

Ch. 6.] THE SINNER SENTENCED. 6i

exert a needful act of severity, so that compassion may-
prevail against reason and justice. No, he will meet thee
as a God, whose schemes and purposes are all immovable
as his throne. I therefore testify to thee in his name this
day, that if God be true, he will thus speak ; and that if
he be able, he will thus act. And on supposition of thy
continuance in thine impenitence and unbelief, thou art
brought into this miserable case, that if God be not either
false or weak, thou art undone, thou art eternally undone.

Tiie Reflection of a Sinner, struck with the Terror of his Sentence.

" Wretch that I am ! What shall I do, or whither shall
I flee ? '• I am weighed in the balance, and am found want-
ing.' Dan. V. 27. This is indeed my doom ; the doom I am to
expect from the mouth of Christ himself, from the mouth
of him that died for the redemption and salvation of men.
Dreadful sentence ! and so much the more dreadful, when
considered in that view ! To what shall I look to save me
from it ? To whom shall I call ? Shall I say ' to the rocks,
Fall upon me, and to the hills. Cover me ?' Luke, xxiii. 30.
What should I gain by that ? Were I indeed overwhelmed
with rocks and mountains, they could not conceal me from
the notice of his eye; and his hand could reach me with
as much ease there as any where else.

" Wretch indeed that I am ! 0 that I had never been
born ! 0 that I had never known the dignity and preroga-
tive of the rational nature ! Fatal prerogative indeed, that
renders me obnoxious to condemnation and wrath ! 0 that
I had never been instructed in the will of God at all, ra-
ther than that, being thus instructed, I should have disre-
garded and transgressed it! Would to God I had been
allied to the meanest of the human race, to them that come
nearest to the state of the brutes, rather than that I should
have had my lot in cultivated life, amidst so many of the
improvements of reason, and (dreadful reflection !) amidst
so many of the advantages of religion too I and thus to
have perverted all to my own destruction! O that God
would take away this rational soul ! but, alas ! it will live
for ever, will live to feel the agonies of eternal death. Why
have I seen the beauties and glories of a world like this, to
exchange it for that flaming prison ! Why have I tasted so
many of my Creator's bounties, to wring out at last the

62 THE SINNER SENTENCED. [Ch. 6.

dregs of his wrath ! Why have I known the delights of so-
cial life and friendly convei-se, to exchange them for the
horrid company of devils, and damned spirits in hell ! Oh !
' who can dwell' with them in ' devouring flames ? who
can lie down' with them ' in everlasting, everlasting, ever-
lasting burnings ?' Isa. xxxiii. 14.

'"But whom have I to blame in all this but myself ?
What have I to accuse but my own stupid incorrigible
folly ? On what is all this terrible ruin to be charged, but
on this one fatal, cursed cause, that, having broken God's
law, I rejected his Gospel too ?

" Yet stay, 0 my soul, in the midst of all these doleful
foreboding complaints. Can I say tliat I have finally re-
jected the Gospel ? Am I not to this day under the sound
of it ? The sentence is not yet gone forth against me, in
so determinate a manner as to be utterly irreversible.
Through all this gloomy prospect, one ray of hope breaks
in, and it is possible I may yet be delivered.

" Reviving thought ! Rejoice in it, 0 my soul ! though it
be with trembling, and turn immediately to that God,
who, though provoked by ten thousand offences, has not
yet ' sworn in his wrath that thou shalt never' be permitted
to hold further intercourse with him, or to ' enter into his
rest.' Psalm xcv. 11.

" I do then, O blessed Lord ! prostrate myself in the
dust before thee. I own I am a condemned and miser-
able creature. But my language is that of the humble
publican, ' God be merciful to me a sinner!' Luke, xviii.
13. Some general and confused apprehensions I have of a
way by which I may possibly escape. 0 God, whatever
that way is, show it me, I beseech thee ! Point it out so
plainly, that I may not be able to mistake it ! And oh !
reconcile my heart to it, be it ever so humbling, be it ever
so painful !

" Surely, Lord, I have much to learn ; but be thou my
teacher ! Stay for a little moment thine uplifted hand ;
and in thine infinite compassion delay the stroke, till I in-
quire a little farther how I may finally avoid it !"

Ch. 7.] sinner's helpless state. 63

CHAPTER VII.

THE HELPLESS STATE OF THE SINNER UNDER CONDEMNATION.

1, 2. The sinner urged to consider how he can he saved from this im-
pending ruin. — 3. J\ot by any thing he can offer. — 4. J\^or by any
thing he can endure. — 5. A^or by any thing he can do in the course
of future duty. — 6 — 8. J\''or by any alliance with felloiv-sinners on
earth or in hell. — 9. JVor by any interposition or intercession of
angels or saints in his favour. Hint of the only method, to be after-
wards more largely explained. The lamentation of a sinner in thds
miserable condition.

1. SiNNERj thou hast heard the sentence of God, as it
stands upon record in his sacred and immutable word.
And wilt thou lie down under it in everlasting despair ?
Wilt thou make no attempt to be delivered from it, when
it speaks nothing less than eternal death to thy soul ? If
a criminal, condemned by human laws, has but the least
shadow of hope that he may possibly escape, he is all at-
tention to it. If there be a friend, who he thinks can
help him, with what strong importunity does he entreat
the interposition of that friend ? And even while he is be-
fore the judge, how difficult is it often to force him away
from the bar, while the cry of mercy, mercy, mercy, may
be heard, though it be never so unseasonable ? A mere
possibility that it may make some impression, makes him
eager in it, and unwilling to be silenced and removed.

2. Wilt thou not then, 0 sinner ! ere yet execution is
done, that execution which may perhaps be done this very
day, wilt thou not cast about in thy thoughts what mea-
sures may be taken for deliverance ? Yet what measures
can be taken ? Consider attentively, for it is an affair of
moment. Thy wisdom, thy power, thy eloquence, thy
interest, can never be exerted on a greater occasion. If
thou canst help thyself, do it. If thou hast any secret
source of relief, go not out of thyself for other assistance.
If thou hast any sacrifice to offer, if thou hast any strength
to exert; yea, if thou hast any allies on earth, or in the
invisible world, who can defend or deliver thee, take thy
own w^ay, so that thou mayest but be delivered at all, that
we may not see thy ruin. But say, 0 sinner ! in the pre-

64 sinner's helpless state. [Ch. 7.

sence of God, what sacrifice thou wilt present, what
strength thou wilt exert, what allies thou wilt have re-
course to, on so urgent, so hopeless an occasion. For hope-
less I must indeed pronounce it, if such methods are taken.

3. The justice of God is injured : hast thou any atone-
ment to make to it ? If thou w^ast brought to an inquiry
and proposal, like that of an awakened sinner, " Where-
with shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before
the high God ? Shall I come before him with burnt-offer-
ings, with calves of a year old ? Will the Lord be pleased
with thousands of rams, or wdth ten thousands of rivers of
oil ?" Mic. vi. 6, 7. Alas ! wert thou as great a prince as
Solomon himself, and couldst thou indeed purchase such
sacrifices as these, there would be no room to mention
them. "Lebanon would not be sufficient to burn, nor all
the beasts thereof for a burnt-offering." Isai. xl. 16. Even
under that dispensation, which admitted and required
sacrifices in some cases, the blood of bulls and of goats,
though it exempted the offender from farther temporal
punishment, "could not take away sin," (Heb. x. 4.) nor
prevail by any means, to purge the conscience in the sight
of God. And that soul, that had "done aught presump-
tuously," was not allowed to bring any sin-offering, or
trespass-offering at all, but was condemned to " die without
mercy." Numb. xv. 30. Now God and thine own con-
science know, that thine offences have not been merely
the errors of ignorance and inadvertency, but that thou
hast sinned with a high hand in repeated aggravated in-
stances, as thou hast acknowledged already. Shouldst
thou add, with the wretched sinner described above,
"Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit
of my body for the sin of my soul ?" Mic. vi. 7. What
could the blood of a beloved child do in such a case, but
dye thy crimes so much the deeper, and add a yet un-
known horror to them ? Thou hast offended a Being of
infinite majesty ; and if that offence is to be expiated by
blood, it must be another kind of blood than that which
flows in the veins of thy children, or in thine own.

4. Wilt ihou then suffer thyself, till thou hast made
full satisfaction ? But how shall that satisfaction be made?
Shall it be by any calamities to be endured in this mor-
tal, momentary life ? Is the justice of God then esteemed

Ch, 7.] sinner's helpless stat'e. 65

so little a thing, that the sorrows of a few days should
suffice to answer its demands ? Or dost thou think of fu-
ture sufferings in the invisible world ? If thou dost, that
is not deliverance ; and with regard to that, I may ven-
'ture to say, when thou hast made full satisfaction, thou
wilt be released. When thou hast paid the uttermost far-
thing of that debt, thy prison-doors shall be opened ; but
in the mean time, thou must " make thy bed in hell :"
(Psalm cxxxix. 8.) and, oh ! unhappy man, wilt thou lie
down there with a secret hope, that the moment will come
when the rigour of Divine justice will not be able to in-
flict any thing more than thou hast endured, and when
thou mayest claim tliy discharge as a matter of right ? It
would indeed be well for thee if thou couldst carry down
with thee such a hope, false and flattering as it is ; but,
alas ! thou wilt see things in so just alight, that'to have no
comfort but this will be eternal despair. That one word of
thy sentence, " everlasting fire :-'' that one declaration,
"the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched ;" will
be sufficient to strike such a thought into black confusion,
and to overwhelm thee with hopeless agony and horror.
5. Or do you think that your future reformation and dili-
gence in duty for the time to come, will procure your dis-
charge from this sentence ? Take heed, sinner, what kind
of obedience thou thinkest of offering to a holy God.
That must be spotless and complete which his infinite
sanctity can approve and accept, if he consider thee in thy-
self alone : there must be no inconstancy, no forgetful-
ness, no mixture of sin attending it. And wilt thou, enfee-
bled as thou art by so much original corruption, and so
many siniul habits contracted by innumerable actual trans-
gressions, undertake to render such an obedience, and that
for all the remainder of thy life ? In vain v/ouldst thou
attempt it, even for one day. New guilt would imme-
diately plunge thee into new ruin. But if it did not, if from
this moment to the ver}" end of thy life all were as com-
plete obedience as the law of God required from Adam in
Paradise, would that be sufficient to cancel past guilt?
Would it discharge an old debt, that thou hast not con-
tracted a new one ? Offer this to thy neighbour, and see
if he will accept it for payment ; and if he will not, wilt
thou presume to offer it to thy God ?

66 sinner's helpless state. [Ch. 7.

6. But I will not multiply words on so plain a subject.
While I speak thus, time is passing away, death presses
on, and judgment is approaching. And what can save thee
from these awful scenes, or what can protect thee in them ?
Can the world save thee? that vain delusive idol of thy
wishes and pursuits, to which thou art sacrificing thine
eternal hopes ? Well dost thou know, that it will utterly
forsake thee when thou needest it most ; and that not one
of its enjoyments can be carried along with thee into the
invisible state ; no, not so much as a trifle, to remember it
by, if thou couldst desire to remember so inconstant and
so treacherous a friend as the world has been.

7. And when you are dead, or when you are dying, can
your sinful companions save you ? Is there any one of
them, if he were ever so desirous of doing it, that " can
give unto God a ransom for you," (Psalm xlix. 7.) to de-
liver you from going down to the grave, or from going
down to hell ? Alas, you will probably be so sensible of
this, that, when you lie on the borders of the grave, you
will be unwilling to see, or to converse with, these that
were once your favourite companions. They will afflict
you rather than relieve you, even then : how much less
can they relieve you before the bar of God, when they are
overwhelmed with their own condemnation.

8. As for the powers of darkness, you are sure they will
be far from having any ability or inclination to help you.
Satan has been watching and labouring for your destruc-
tion, and he will triumph in it. But if there could be any
thing of an amicable confederacy between you, what
would that be but an association in ruin? For the day of
judgment of ungodly men, will also be the judgment of
these rebellious spirits ; and the fire into which thou, O
sinner, must depart, is that which was " prepared for the
devil and his angels." Matt. xxv. 41.

9. Will the celestial spirits then save thee ? Will they
interpose their power, or their prayers, in thy favour ? An
interposition of power, when sentence is gone forth against
thee, were an act of rebellion against heaven, which these
holy and excellent creatures would abhor. And when the
final pleasure of the Judge is known, instead of interced-
ing in vain for the wretched criminal, they would rather,
with ardent zeal for the glory of their Lord, and cordial

Ch. 7.] sinner's lamentation. 67

acquiescence in the determination of his wisdom and jus-
tice, prepare to execute it. Yea, difficult as it may at pre-
sent be to conceive it, it is a certain truth, that the servants
of Christ, who now most tenderly love you, and most
affectionately seek your salvation, not excepting those who
are allied to you in the nearest bonds of nature or of friend-
ship, even they shall put their Amen to it. Now indeed
their bowels yearn over you, and their eyes pour out tears
on your account. Now they expostulate with you, and
plead with God for you, if by any means, while yet there
is hope, you may " be plucked as a firebrand out of the
burning." Amos, iv. 11. But, alas ! their remonstrances
you will not reoard ; and as for their prayers, what should
they ask for you ? What but that you may see yourself to
be undone ; and that, utterly despairing of any help from
yourself, or from any created power, you may lie before
God in humility and brokenness of heart ; that, submitting
yourself to his righteous judgment, and in an utter renun-
ciation of all self-dependence and of all creature depen-
dence, you may lift up an humble look towards him, as
almost from the depths of hell, if peradventure he may
have compassion upon you, and may himself direct you to
that only method of rescue, which, while things continue
as in present circumstances they are, neither earth, nor
hell, nor heaven, can afford you.

The Lamenlalion of a Sinner in this miserable Condilion.

" Oh ! doleful, uncomfortable, helpless state ! 0 wretch
that I am, to have reduced myself to it! Poor, empty,
miserable, abandoned creature ! Where is my pride, and
the haughtiness of my heart? Where are my idol deities,
* whom I have loved and served, after whom I have walk-
ed, and whom I have sought,' (Jer. viii. 2.) while I have
been multiplying my transgressions against the majesty of
heaven ? Is there no heart to have compassion upon me ?
Is there no hand to save me ? ' Have pity upon me, have
pity upon me, 0 my friends, for the hand of God hath
touched me:' (Job, xix. 21.) hath seized me! I feel it
pressed upon me hard, and what shall I do ? Perhaps they
have pity upon me, but, alas ! how feeble a compassion !
only, if there be any where in the whole compass of na-

68 sinner's lamentation. [Ch. 7.

ture any help, tell rae where jt may be found ! O point it
out, direct me toward it ; or rather, confounded and asto-
nished as my mind is, take me by the hand, and lead
me to it!

" 0 ye ministers of the Lord, whose office it is to ouide
and comfort distressed souls, take pity upon me ! I fear I
am a pattern of many other helpless creatures, who have
the like need of your assistance. Lay aside your other
cares, to care for my soul, to care for this precious soul of
mine, which lies as it were bleeding to death, (if that ex-
pression may be used,) while you perhaps hardly afford
me a look, or, glancing an eye upon rae, ' pass over to the
other side.' Luke, x. 32. Yet, alas ! in a case like mine,
what can your interposition avail if it be alone : 'If the
Lord do not help me, how can you help me ?' 2 Kings,
vi. 27.

" ' 0 God, the God of the spirits of all flesh,' (Numb.
xvi. 22.) I lift up mine eyes unto thee, and ' cry unto thee,
as out of the belly of hell.' Jonah, ii. 2. I cry unto thee,
at least from the borders of it. Yet, while I lie before thee
in this infinite distress, I know that thine Almiglity power
and boundless grace can still find out a way for my re-
covery.

" Thou art he, whom I have most of all injured and
affronted ; and yet from thee alone must I now seek re-
dress. ' Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done
evil in thy sight;' so that 'thou mightest be justified
when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest,'
(Psalm li. 4.) though thou shouldst at this moment ad-
judge me to eternal misery. And yet I find something
that secretly draws me to thee, as if I might find rescue
there, where I have deserved the most aggravated de-
struction. Blessed God, I 'have destroyed myself; but in
thee is my help,' (Hos. xiii. 9.) if there can be help at all.

" I know, in the general, that ' thy ways are not as our
ways, nor thy thoughts as our thoughts ;' but are as ' high
above them, as the heavens are above the earth.' Isai. Iv.
8, 9. ' Have mercy,' therefore, ' upon me, O God, accord-
ing to thy loving-kindness, according to the multitude of
thy tender mercies !' Psalm li. 1. O point out the path to
the city of refuge ! O ' lead me' thyself, 'in the way ever-
lasting !' Psalm cxxxix. 24. I know, in the general, that

Cb. 8.] NEWS OF SALVATION. 69

thy Gospel is the only remedy : O teach thy servants to
administer it ! O prepare my heart to receive it ! and suf-
fer not, as in many instances, that malignity, which has
spread itself through all my nature, to turn that noble me-
dicine into poison !"

CHAPTER VIII.

KSWS OF SALVATION BY CHPaST BROUGHT TO THE CONVINCED AND
CONDEMNED SINNER.

1. The awful things which have hitherto been said, intended not to
grieve, hut to help. — 2. After some reflection on the pleasure with
which a minister of the Gospel may deliver the message loith ivhich
he is charged. — 3. WjitZ some reasons for the repetition of what is
in speculation so generally known. — 4 — 6. The author proceeds
briefly to declare the substance of these glad tidings : viz. that
God, having in his infinite compassion sent his Son to die for sin-
ners, is now reconcileable through him. — 7, 8. So that the most hei-
nous transgressions shall be entirely pardoned to believers, and
they made completdy and eternally happy. The sinner'' s reflection
on this good news.

1. My dear reader, it is the great design of the Gospel,
and wherever it is cordially received, it is the glorious effect
of it, to fill the heart with sentiments of love ; to teach
us to abhor all unnecessary rigour and severity, and to de-
light not in the grief, but in the happiness of our fellow-
creatures. I can hardly apprehend how he can be a
Christian, who takes pleasure in the distress which ap-
pears even in a brute, much less in that of a human mind ;
and especially in such distress as the thoughts I have
been proposing must give, if there be any due attention to
their weight and energy. I have often felt a tender regret,
while I have been representing these things ; and I could
have wished from my heart, that it had not been necessary
to have placed them in so severe and so painful a light.
But now I am addressing myself to a part of my work,
which I undertake with unutterable pleasure ; and to that,
which indeed I had in view, in all those awful things
which I have already been laying before you. I have been
showing you, that, if you hitherto have lived in a state of

70 NEWS OF SALVATION. [Ch. 8.

impenitence and sin, you are condemned by God's righteous
judgment, and have in yourself no spring of hope, and no
possibility of deliverance. But I mean not to leave you
under this sad apprehension, to lie down and die in des-
pair, complaining of that cruel zeal which has " torment-
ed you before your time." Matt. viii. 29.

2. Arise, 0 thou dejected soul, that art prostrate in the
dust before God, and tremblftig under the terror of his
righteous sentence ; for I am commissioned to tell thee,
that, though " thou hast destroyed thyself, in God is thine
help." Hos. xiii. 9. I bring thee " good tidings of great
joy," (Luke, ii. 10.) which delight mine own heart, while
I proclaim them, and will, I hope, reach and revive thine;
even the tidings of salvation by the blood and righteous-
ness of the Redeemer. And I give it thee for thy greater
security, in the words of a gracious and forgiving God,
that " he is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, and
not imputing to them their trespasses." 2 Cor. v. 19.

3. This is the best news that ever was heard, the most
important message which God ever sent to his creatures ; and
though I doubt not, that, living as you have done in a Chris-
tian country, you have heard it often, perhaps a thousand
and a thousand times ; I will, with all simplicity and plain-
ness, repeat it to you again, and repeat it as if you had
never heard it before. If thou, 0 sinner, shouldst now for
the first time feel it, then will it be as a new Gospel unto
thee, though so familiar to thine ear ; nor shall it be
" grievous to me" to speak what is so common, " since to
you it is safe" and necessary. Phil. iii. 1. They who are
most deeply and intimately acquainted with it, instead of
being cloyed and satiated, will hear it with distinguished
pleasure ; and as for those who have hitherto slighted it, I
am sure they had need to hear it again. Nor is it abso-
lutely impossible, that some one soul at least may read
these lines, who hath never been clearly and fully instruct-
ed in this important doctrine, though his everlasting all
depends on knowing and receiving it. I will therefore take
care, that such a one shall not have it to plead at the bar
of God, that, though he lived in a Christian country, he
was never plainly and faithfully taught the doctrine of sal-
vation by Jesus Christ, " the way, the truth, and the life,
by whom alone we come unto the Father." John, xiv. 6.

Ch. 8.] NEWS OF SALVATION. 71

4. I do therefore testify unto you this day, that the holy
and gracious Majesty of heaven and earth, foreseeing the
fatal apostacy into which the whole human race would
fall, did not determine to deal in a way of strict and rigor-
ous severity with us, so as to consign us over to universal
ruin and inevitable damnation ; but, on the contrary, he
determined to enter into atreaty of peace and reconciliation,
and to publish to all whom the Gospel should reach, the
express offers of life and glory, in a certain method, which
his infinite wisdom judged suitable to the purity of his
nature, and the honour of his government. This method
was indeed a most actonishing one, which, familiar as it is
to our thoughts and our tongues, I cannot recollect and
mention without great amazement. He determined to
send his own Son into the world, " the brightness of his
glory, and the express image of his person," (Heb. i. 3.)
partaker of his own divine perfections and honours, to be,
not merely a teacher of righteousness and a messenger of
grace, but also a sacrifice for the sins of men ; and would
consent to his saving them on no other condition but this,
that he should not only labour, but die in the cause.

5. Accordingly, at such a period of time as infinite wis-
dom saw most convenient, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared
in human flesh ; and after he had gone through incessant
and long-continued fatigues, and borne all the preceding
injuries, which the ingratitude and malice of men could
inflict, he voluntarily " submitted himself to death, even
the death of the cross;" (Phil. ii. S.) and having been
" delivered for our offences, was raised again for our jus-
tification." Rom. iv. 25. After his resurrection, he con-
tinued long enough on earth to give his followers most
convincing evidences of it, and then " ascended into hea-
ven in their sight;" (Acts, i. 9 — 11.) and sent down his
Spirit from thence unto his apostles, to enable them, in the
most persuasive and authoritative manner, "to preach the
Gospel;" and he has given it in charge to them, and to
those who in every age succeed them in this part of their
office, that it should be published " to every creature,"
(Mark, xvi. 15.) that all who believe in it may be saved
by virtue of its abiding energy, and the immutable power
and grace of its divine Author, who is " the same yesterday,
to-day, and for ever." Heb. xiii. 8.

72 NEWS OF SALVATION. [Ch. 8.

6. This Gospel do I therefore now preach and proclaim
unto thee, 0 reader, with the sincerest desire, that
through divine grace it may " this very day be salvation to
thy soul." Luke, xix. 9. Know therefore and consider it,
whosoever thou art, that as surely as these words are now
before thine eyes, so sure it is, that the incarnate Son of
God was " made a spectacle to the world, and to angels,
and to men :" (1 Cor. iv. 9.) his back torn with scourges,
his head with thorns, his limbs stretched out as on a
rack, and nailed to the accursed tree ; and, in this mise-
rable condition, he was hung by his hands and his feet, as
an object of public infamy and contempt. Thus did he
die, in the midst of all the taunts and insults of his cruel
enemies, who thirsted for his blood ; and, which was the
saddest circumstance of all, in the midst of those agonies
with which he closed the most innocent, perfect, and use-
ful life that ever was spent on earth, he had not those sup-
ports of the divine presence which sinful men have often
experienced, when they have been suffering for the testi-
mony of their conscience. They have often burst out into
transports of joy and songs of praise, while their execu-
tioners have been glutting their hellish malice, and more
than savage barbarity, by making their torments artificially
grievous ; but the crucified Jesus cried out, in the distress
of his spotless and holy soul, " My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me ?" Matt, xxvii. 46.

7. Look upon your dear Redeemer! look up to this
mournful, dreadful, yet, in one view, delightful spectacle !
and then ask thine own heart. Do I believe that Jesus suf-
fered and died thus ? And why did he suffer and die ? Let
me answer in God's own v>'ords, " He was wounded for
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, and
the chastisement of our peace was upon him, that by his
stripes we might be healed : it pleased the Lord to bruise
him, and to put him to grief, when he made his soul an
offering for sin ; for the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us
all." Isai. liii. 5, 6, 10. So that I may address you in the
words of the apostle, " Be it known unto you therefore,
that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness
of sins ;" (Acts, xiii. 38.) as it was his command, just after
he arose from the dead, " that repentance and remission of
sins should be preached in his name among all nations,

(Jh. 8.] NEWS OF SALVATION. ,73

beginning at Jerusalem," (Luke, xxir. 47.) the very place
where his blood had so lately been shed in such a cruel
manner. I do thereby testify to you, in the words of an-
other inspired writer, that Christ was made sin, that is, a
sin-offering, " for us, though he knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him :" (2 Cor. v. 21.)
that is, that, through the righteousness he has fulfilled, and
the atonement he has made, we might be accepted by God
as righteous, and be not only pardoned, but receiv^ed into
his favour. " To you is the word of this salvation sent,"
(Acts, xiii. 26.) and to you, 0 reader, are the blessings of
it even now offered by God, sincerely offered ; so that,
after all that I have said under the former heads, it is not
your having broken the law of God that shall prove your
ruin, if you do not also reject his Gospel. It is not all those
legions of sins which rise up in battle array against you,
that shall be able to destroy you, if unbelief do not lead
them on, and final impenitency do not bring up the rear.
I know that guilt is a timorous thing; I will therefore
speak in the words of God himself, nor can any be more
comfortable : " He that believeth on the Son, hath ever-
lasting life," (John, iii. 36.) "and he shall never come
into condemnation." John, v. 24. " There is therefore now
no condemnation," no kind or degree of it, " to them," to
any one of them, " who are in Christ Jesus, w^ho walk not
after the flesh., but after the spirit." Rom. viii. 1. You
have indeed been a very great sinner, and your offences
have truly been attended with most heinous aggravations ;
nevertheless you may rejoice in the assurance, that " where
^sin hath abounded, there shall grace much more abound ;"
" that where sin hath reigned unto death," where it has
had its most unlimited sway, and most unresisted triumph,
there " shall righteousness reign to eternal life, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. "•Rom. v. 2L That righteousness,
to which on believing on him thou wilt be entitled, shall
not only break those chains, by which sin is, as it were,
dragging thee at its chariot wheels with a furious pace to
eternal ruin; but it shall clothe thee with the robes of
salvation, shall fix thee on a throne of glory, where thou
shalt live and reign for ever among the princes of heaven,
shalt reign in immortal beauty and joy, without one remain-
ing scar of divine displeasure upon thee, without any single
4

74 NEWS OF SALVATION. [Ch. 8.

mark by which it could be known that thou hadst ever been
obnoxious to wrath and a curse, except it be an anthem of
praise to " the Lamb that was slain, and has washed thee
from thy sins in his own blood." Rev. i. 5.

8. Nor is it necessary, in order to thy being released from
guilt, and entitled to this high and complete felicity, that
thou shouldst, before thou wilt venture to apply to Jesus,
bring any good works of thine own to recommend thee to
his acceptance. It is indeed true, that, if thy faith be sin-
cere, it will certainly produce them; but I have the autho-
rity of the word of God to tell thee, that if thou this day
sincerely believest in the name of the Son of God, thou
shalt this day be taken under his care, and be numbered
among those of his sheep, to whom he hath graciously
declared, that " he will give eternal life, and that they
shall never perish." John, x. 28. Thou hast no need there-
fore to say, " Who shall go up into heaven, or who shall
descend into the deep for me ? For the word is nigh thee,
in thy mouth, and in thy heart." Rom. x. 6, 7, 8. With this
joyful message I leave thee : with this faithful saying, in-
deed "worthy of all acceptation:" (1 Tim. i. 15.) with
this Gospel, 0 sinner, v» hich is my life j and which, if thou
dost not reject, will be thine too.

Tke Sinner's Reflection on this Good JVews.

" O my soul, how astonishing is the message which thou
hast this day received ! I have indeed often heard it before,
and it is grown so common to me, that the surprise is not
sensible. But reflect, O my soul, what it is thou hast heard ;
and say, whether the name of a Saviour, whose message it
is, may not well be called 'Wonderful, Counsellor,' (Isai.
ix. 6.) when he displays before thee such wonders of love,
and proposes to thee such counsels of peace'

" Blessed Jesus, is it indeed tiius ? Is it not the fiction
of the human mind ? Surely it is not ! What human mind
could have invented or conceived it? It is a plain, a cer-
tain fact, that thou didst leave the magnificence and joy of
the heavenly world in compassion to such a wretch as I!
Oh ! hadst thou, from that height of dignity and felicity,
only looked down upon me for one moment, and sent some
gracious word to me for my direction and comfort, even by
the least of thy servants, justly might I have prostrated

Ch. 8.] HEWS OF SALVATION. 75

myself in grateful admiration, and have kissed ' the very
footsteps' of him ' that published the salvation.' Isai. Hi. 7.
But didst thou condescend to be thyself the messenger?
What grace had that been, though thou hadst but once in
person made the declaration, and immediately returned
back to the throne from whence divine compassion brought
thee down ? But this is not all the triumph of thine illus-
trious grace. It not only brought thee down to earth, but
kept thee here in a frail and wretched tabernacle, for long
successive years ; and at length it cost thee thy life, and
stretched thee out as a malefactor upon the cross, after
thou hadst borne insult and cruelty, which it may justly
wound my heart so much as to think of. And thus thou
hast atoned ' injured justice, and redeemed me to God with
thine own blood.' Rev. v. 9.

"What shall I say? ^ Lord, I believe; help thou my
unbelief!' Mark, ix. 24. It seems to put faith to the stretch,
to admit what it indeed exceeds the utmost stretch of ima-
gination to conceive. Blessed, for ever blessed be thy name,
O thou Father of mercies, that thou hast contrived the way!
Eternal thanks to the Lamb that was slain, and to that kind
Providence that sent the word of this salvation to mfe ! O
let me not, for ten thousand worlds, ' receive the grace of
God in vain !' 2 Cor. vi. 1. 0 impress this Gospel upon my
soul, till its saving virtue be difiused over every faculty !
Let it not only be heard, and acknowledged, and professed,
but felt ! Make it ' thy power to my eternal salvation ;'
(Rom. i. 16.) and raise me to that humble, tender gratitude,
to that active, unwearied zeal in thy service, which becomes
one ' to whom so much is forgiven,' (Luke, vii. 47.) and
forgiven upon such terms as these .

" I feel a sudden glow in mnie heart, while these tidings
are sounding in mine ears; but, oh ! let it not be a slight
superficial transport! 0 let not this, which I would fain call
my Christian joy, be as that foolish laughter, with which I
have been so madly enchanted, ' like the crackling blaze
of thorns under a pot!' Eccles. vii. 6. O teach me to se-
cure this mighty blessing, this glorious hope, in the method
which thou hast appointed ; and preserve me from mis-
taking the joy of nature, while it catches a glimpse of its
rescue from destruction, for that consent of grace, which
embraces and ensures the deliverance !"

76 SALVATION, HOW OBTAINED^ [Ch. 9.

CHAPTER IX.

A. MORE PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE WAY BY WHICH THIS
SALVATION IS TO BE OBTAINED,

1. An inquiry into the way of salvation by Christ being supposed,-—

2. The sinner is in general directed to repentance and faith. —

3. And urged to give up all self-dependence. — 4. And to seek sal-
vation by free grace. — 5. A summary of more particular directions
is proposed. — 6. That the sinner should apply to Christ. — 7. TVith
a deep abhorrence of his former .nns. — 8. And a firm resolution of
forsaking them. — 9. That lie solemnly commits his soul into the
hands of Christ, the great vital act of faith. — 10. Which is exem-
plified at large. — 11. That he make it in fact the governing care of
his future life to obey and imitate Christ. — 12. This is the only
method of ohtaining Gospel salvation. The sinner deliberating on
the necessity of accepting it.

1. I NOW consider you, my dear reader, as coming to me
with the inquiry which the Jews once addressed to our
Lord, "What shall we do, that we may work the works
of God .?" John, iv. 28. " What method shall I take to
secure that redemption and salvation which I am told
Christ has procured for his people .^" I would answer it as
seriously and carefully as possible, as one that knows ol
what importance it is to you to be rightly informed ; and
that knows also, how strictly he is to answer to God for
the sincerity and care with which the reply is made. May
I be enabled to "speak as his oracle," (1 Pet. iv. 11.) that
is, in such a manner as faithfully to echo back what the
sacred oracles teach !

2. And here, that I may be sure to follow the safest
guidos, and the fairest examples, I must preach salvation
to you, in the way of "repentance toward God, and of
faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," (Acts, xx. 21.) that good
old doctrine, which the apostles preached, and which no
man can pretend to change, but at the peril of his own
soul, and of theirs who attend to him.

3. I suppose that you are, by this time, convinced of
your guilt and condemnation, and of your own inability
to recover yourself. Let me nevertheless urge you to feel
that conviction yet more deeply, and to impress it with yet
greater weight upon your soul ; that you have " undone

Vh. 9.] SALVATION, HOW OBTAINED. 77

yourself," and that •' in yourself is not your help found."
Hos. xiii. 9. Be persuaded, therefore, expressly, and
solemnly, and sincerely, to give up all self-dependence;
which, if you do not guard against it, will be ready to
return secretly, before it is observed, and will lead you to
attempt building up what you have just been destroying.

4. Be assured, that, if ever you are saved, you must
ascribe that salvation entirely to the free grace of God. If,
guilty and miserable as you are, you are not only accepted,
but crowned, you must " lay down your crovv'n," with all
humble acknowledgment, " before the throne." Rev. iv.
10. " No flesh must glory in his presence ; but he that
glorieth must glory in the Lord : for of him are we in
Christ Jesus, v»ho of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Cor.
i. 29, 30, 31. And you must be sensible you are in such
a state, as, having none of these in yourself, to need them
in another. You must therefore be sensible that you are
ignorant and guilcy, polluted and enslaved ; or, as our
Lord expresses it, with regard to some who were under a
Christian profession, that asasinner'' you are wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Rev. iii. 17.

5. If these views be deeply impressed upon your mind,
you will be prepared to receive what I am now to say.
Hear, therefore, in a few words, your duty, your remedy,
and your safety ; which consists in this, " That you must
apply to Christ, with a deep abhorrence of your former
sins, and a firm resolution of forsaking them ; forming that
resolution in the strength of his grace, and fixing your
dependence in him for your acceptance with God, even
while you are purposing to do your very best, and when
you have actually done the best you ever will do in con-
sequence of that purpose.

6. The first and most important advice that I can give
you in your present circumstances, is, that you look to
Christ and apply yourself to him. And here, say not in
your heart, " who shall ascend into heaven, to bring him
down to me?" (Rom. x. 6.) or, "who shall raise me up
thither, to present me before him ?" The blessed "Jesus,
by whom all things consist," (Col. i. 17.) by whom the
whole system of them is supported, "forgotten as he is by
most that bear his name^" "is not far from any of usj"

78 SALVATION, HOW OBTAINED. [Ch. 9.

(Acts, xvii. 27.) nor could he have promised to have been
"wherever two or three are met together in his name,"
(Matt, xviii. 20.) but in consequence of those truly Divine
perfections, by which he is every where present. Would
you therefore, O sinner ! desire to be saved ? go to the
Saviour. Would you desire to be delivered ? Look to that
great Deliverer ; and though you should be so overwhelmed
with guilt and shame, and fear, and horror, that you should
be incapable of speaking to him, fall down in this speech-
less confusion at his feet, " and behold him as the Lamb of
God, that taketh away the sins of the world." John, i. 29.
7. Behold him therefore with an attentive eye, and say,
whether the sight does not touch, and even melt thy very
heart ! Dost thou not feel what a foolish and what a
wretched creature thou hast been, that, for the sake of
such low and sordid gratifications and interests as those
which thou hast been pursuing, thou shouldst thus " kill
the Prince of Life?" Acls, iii. 15. Behold the, deep
wounds which he bore for thee, "look on him whom
thou hast pierced, and surely thou must mourn," (Zech.
xii. iO.) unless thine heart be hardened into stone. Which
of thy past sins canst thou reflect upon, and say, " For
this it is worth my while to have thus injured my Saviour,
and to have exposed the Son of God to such sufferings ?
And what future temptations can arise so considerable, that
thou shouldst say, " For the sake of this I will crucify my
Lord again ?" Heb. vi. 6. Sinner, thou must repent, thou
must repent of every sin, and must forsake it ; but if thou
doest it to any purpose, 1 well know it must be at the foot
of the cross. Thou must sacrifice every lust, even the
dearest, though it should be like a " right hand or a right
eye;" (Matt. v. 29, 30.) and therefore that thou mayest,
if possible, be animated to it, I have led thee to that altar
on which " Christ himself was sacrificed for thee an offering
of a sweet-smelling savour." Eph. v. 2. Thou must " yield
up thyself to God as one alive from the dead." Rom. vi.
15. And therefore I have showed thee at what a price he
purchased thee ; " for thou wast not redeemed with cor-
ruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious
blood of the Son of God, that Lamb without blemish and
without spot." 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. And now I would ask thee,
as before the Lord, what does thine own heart say to

Ch. 9.] SALVATION, HOW OBTAINED. 79

it ? Art tliou grieved for thy former offences ? Art thou
willing to forsake thy sins ? Art thou willing to become
the cheerful, thankful servant of him who halh purchased
thee with his own blood ?

8. I will suppose such a purpose as this rising in thine
heart. How determinate it, is, and how effectual it may
he, I know not ; what different views may arise hereafter,
or how soon the present sense may wear off. But this I
assuredly know, that thou wilt never see reason to change
these views; for however thou mayest alter, the "Lord
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."
Heb. xiii. 8. And the reasons that now recommend repent-
ance and faith as fit and as necessary, will continue inva-
riable, as long as the perfections of the blessed God are
the same, and as long as his Son continues the same.

9. But while you have these views and these purposes,
I must remind you, that this is not all which is necessary
to your salvation. You must not only purpose, but, as God
gives opportunity, you must act as those who are con-
vinced of the evil of sin, and of the necessity and excel-
lence of holiness. And that you may be enabled to
do so, in other instances, you must in the first place,
and as the first great work of God, (as our Lord himself
calls it,) " believe in him whom God hath sent:" (John,
vi. 29.) you must confide in him ; must commit your soul
into the hands of Christ, to be saved by him in his own
•' appointed method of salvation." This is the great act of
saving faith, and I pray God that you may experimentally
know what it means, so as to be able to say with the apos-
tle Paul, in the near view of death itself, " I know whom
I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep
that which*I have committed to him until that day:" (2
Tim. i. 12.) that great decisive day, which, if we are Chris-
tians we have always in view. To this I would urge you ;
and O that I could be so happy as to engage you to it,
while I am illustrating it in this and the following ad-
dresses ! Be assured you must not apply yourself imme-
diately to God absolutely, or in himself considered, in the
neglect of a Mediator. It will neither be acceptable to him,
nor safe for you, to rush into his presence without any re-
gard to his own Son, whom he hath appointed to intro-
duce sinners to him. And if you come otherwise, you

80 LANGUAGE OF SUBMISSION. [Ch. 9.

come as one who is not a sinner. The very manner of pre-
senting the' address will be interpreted as a denial of that
guilt with which he knows you are chargeable ; and there-
fore he will not admit you, nor so much as look upon you.
And accordingly our Lord, knowing how much every man
living was concerned in this, says, in the most uni-versal
terms, " No man cometh unto the Father but by me."
John, xiv. 6.

10. Apply therefore to this glorious Redeemer, amiable
as he will appear to every believing eye in the blood which
he shed upon the cross, and in the wounds which he re-
ceived there. Go to him, 0 sinner ! this day, this moment,
with all thy sins about thee. Go just as thou art ; for if thou
•wilt never apply to him till thou art first righteous and holy,
thou wilt never be righteous and holy at all ; nor canst be
so on this supposition, unless there were some way of
being so without him ; and then there would be no occa-
sion for applying to him for righteousness and holiness.
It were indeed as if it should be said, that a sick man
should defer his application to a physician till his health is
recovered. Let me therefore repeat it without offence, go
to him just as thou art, and say, (0 that thou mayestthis
moment be enabled to say it from thy very soul !) " Bless-
ed Jesus, I am surely one of the most sinful, and one of
the most miserable creatures, that ever fell prostrate be-
fore thee ; nevertheless I come, because I have heard that
thou didst once say, ' Come unto me all ye that labour and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' Matt. xii. 28.
I come, because I have heard that thou didst graciously say,
* Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.'
John, vi. 37. O thou Prince of Peace, 0 thou King of
Glory ! I am a condemned, miserable sinner, I have ruined
my own soul, and am condemned for ever, if thou dost not
help me and save me. I have broken thy Father's law, and
thine; for thou art * one with him.' John, x. 30. I have
deserved condemnation and wrath ; and I am, even at this
very moment, under a sentence of everlasting destruction,
a destruction which will be aggravated by all the contempt
that I have cast upon thee, 0 thou bleeding Lamb of God!
for I cannot, and will not dissemble it before thee, that I
have wronged thee, most basely and ungratefully wronged
thee, under the character of a Saviour, as well as of a

Ch. 9.] HOLY LIFE ESSENTIAL. 81

Lord. But now I am willing to submit to thee ; and I have
brought my poor trembling soul, to lodge it in thine hands,
if thou wilt condescend to receive it;*and if thou dost not,
it must perish. 0 Lord, I lie at thy feet : stretch out ' thy
golden sceptre that I may live.' Esth. iv. 11. *Yea, if it
please the King, let the life of my soul be given me at
my petition !' Esth, vii. 3. I have no treasure wherewith
to purchase it, I have no equivalent to give thee for it;
but if that compassionate heart of thine can find a pleasure
in saving one of the most distressed creatures under hea-
ven, that pleasure thou majest here find. O Lord, I have
foolishly attempted to be my own saviour, but it will not
do. I am sensible the attepipt is vain, and therefore I give
it over, and look unto thee. On thee, blessed Jesus, who
art sure and steadfast, do I desire to fix my anchor^ On
thee, as the only sure foundation, would I build my eter-
nal hopes. To thy teaching, O thou unerring Prophet of
the Lord, would I submit : be thy doctrines ever so mys-
terious, it is enough for me that thou thyself hast said it.
To thine atonement, obedience, and intercession, 0 thou
holy and ever acceptable High Priest, would I trust. And
to thy government, 0 thou exalted Sovereign, would I
yield a willing, delightful subjection: in token of reve-
rence and love, 'I kiss the Son:' (Psalm ii. 12.) I kiss
the ground before his feet. I admit thee, 0 my Saviour !
and welcome thee with unutterable joy, to theihrone in
my heart. Ascend it, and reign there for ever ! Subdue
mine enemies, O Lord, for they are thine ; and make me
thy faithful and zealous servant : faithful to death, and
zealous to eternity."

11. Such as this must be the language of your very
heart before the Lord. But then remember, that, in con-
sequence thereof, it must be the language of your life too.
The unmeaning words of the lips would be a vain mockery.
The most affectionate transport of the passions, shoulS it
be transient and ineffectual, would be but like a blaze of
straw, presented, instead of incense, at his altar. With
such humility, with such love, w^ith such cordial self-dedi-
cation and submission of soul, must thou often prostrate
thyself in the presence of Christ; and then thou must go
away, and keep him in thy view ; must go away, and live
wnto God through him, denying ungodliness and worldly
4*

82 SlKKEIl DELIBEEATING. [Ch. 9.

Insfs, and behaving thyself " soberly, righteously, and god-
ly, in this vain ensnaring world." Tit. ii. 12. You must
make it your care to show your love by obedience, by forai-
ing yourself, as much as possible, according to the temper
and manner of Jesus, in whom you believe. You must
raake it the great point of your ambition, and a nobler
view you cannot entertain, to be a living image of Christ ;
that, so far as circumstances will allow, even those who
have heard and read but little of him, may, by observing
you, in some measure, see and know what kind of a life
that of the blessed Jesus was. And this must be your
constant care, your prevailing charactef, as long as you
live. You must follow him whithersoever he leads you ;
must follow with a cross on your shoulder, when he com-
mands you to " take it up y' (Matt. xvi. 24.) and so must
be faithful even unto death, expecting " the crown of life."
Rev. ii. 10.

12. This, so far as I have been able to learn from the
word of God, is the way to safety and glory : the surest,
the only way you can take. It is the way which every
faithful minister of Christ has trod, and is treading; and
the way to which, as he tenders the salvation of his
own soul, he must direct others. We cannot, we would
not alter it in favour of ourselves, or of our dearest friends.
It is the way in which alone, so far as we can judge, it be-
comes the blessed God to save his apostate creatures. And
therefore, reader, I beseech and entreat you seriously to
consider it ; and let your own conscience answer, as in
the presence of God, whether you are willing to acquiesce
in it or not. But know, that to reject it is thine eternal
death. For as " there is no other name under heaven given
among men whereby we can be saved," (Acts, iv. 12.)
but this of Jesus of Nazareth, so there is no other method
but this in which Jesus himself will save us.

The Sinner deliberative on the Expediency of falling in
with this Method of Salvation.

" Consider, O my soul ! what answer wilt thou return
to such proposals as these .^ Surely, if I were to speak the
first dictate of this corrupt and degenerate heart, it would
bcj ' This is a bard saying, and who can hear it ?' John, vi.

Ch. 9.] SINNER DELIBERATING. 83

60. To be thus humbled, thus mortified, thus subjected !
To take such a yoke upon me, and to carry it as long as I
live ! To give up every darling lust, though dear to me as
a right eye, and seemingly necessary as a right hand ! To
submit not only my life, butmy heart, to the command and
discipline of another ! To have a master there, and such a
master as will control many of its favourite affections, and
direct them quite into another channel ! A master, who
himself represents his commands, by taking up the cross
and following him ? To adhere to the strictest rules of godli-
ness and sobriety, of righteousness and truth : not depart-
ing from them in any allowed instance, great or small, upon
any temptation, for any advantage, to escape any incon-
venience and evil, no, not even for the preservation of life
itself, but, upon a proper call of Providence, to act as if I
* hated even my own life !' Luke, xiv. 26. Lord, it is hard
to flesh and blood; and yet I perceive and feel there is one
demand yet harder than this.

' " With all these precautions, with all these mortifica-
tions, the pride of my nature would find some inward re-
source of pleasure, might I but secretly think that I had
been my own saviour, that my own wisdom, and ray own
resolution had broken the bands and chains of the* enemy,
and that I had drawn out of my own treasures the price
with which my redemption was purchased. But must I
lie down before another, as guilty and condemned, as weak
and helpless ? And must the obligation be multiplied, and
must a Mediator have his share too ? Must I go to the cross
for my salvation, and seek my glory from the infamy of
that ? Must I be stripped of every pleasing pretence to
righteousness, and stand, in this respect, upon a level with
the vilest of men ? Stand at the bar amongst the greatest
criminals, pleading guilty with them, and seeking deliver-
ance by that very act of grace w^hereby they have ob-
tained it.

" I dare not deliberately say, this method is unreasona-
ble. My conscience testifies that I have sinned, and can-
not be justified before God as an innocent and obedient
creature. My conscience tells me, that all these humbling
circumstances are fit ; that it is fit a convicted criminal
should be brought upon his knees ; that a captive rebel
should give up the weapons of his rebellioii, and bow be-

84 THE SINNER ENTREATED. [Ch. 10

fore his sovereign, if he expect his life. Yea, my reason,
as well as my conscience, tells me, that it is fit and neces-
sary, that, if I am saved at all, I should be saved from the
power and love of sin, as well as from the condemnation
of it; and that, if sovereign mercy gives me a new life,
after having deserved eternal death, it is most fit I should
* yield myself to God as alive from the dead.' Rom. vi. 13.
But, ^ 0 wretched m^i.n that I am ! I feel a law in my
members that wars against the law of ray mind,' (Rom.
vii. 23. 24.) and opposes the conviction of my reason and
conscience. Who shall deliver me from this bondage ?
Who shall make me willing to do that which I know in
my own soul to be most expedient ? 0 Lord, subdue my
heart, and let it not be drawn so strongly one way, while
the nobler powers of my m.ind would direct it another !
Conquer every licentious principle within, that it may be
my joy to be so wisely governed and restrained! Espe-
cially subdue my pride, that lordly corruption, which so
ill suits an impoverished and condemned creatuie ; that
thy way of salvation may be made amiable to me in pro-
portion to the degree in which it is humbling ! I feel a
disposition to ' linger in Sodom, but 0 be merciful to me,
and pull me out of it," (Gen. xix. 16.) before the storm
of thy flaming vengeance fall, and there be no more es-
caping!"

CHAPTER X.

THE SINNER SERIOUSLY URGED AND ENTREATED TO ACCEPT OF
SALVATION IN THIS WAY.

1. Since many who have been impressed urith these things, svffer the
impression to wear off. — 2. Strongly as the case speaks for itself ,
sinners are to he entreated to accept this salvation. — 3. Accordingly
the reader is entreated — by the majesty and mercy of God. — 4. By
the dying love of our Lord Jesus Christ. — 5. By the regard due to
our fellow -ere attires. — 6. By the worth of his oivn immortal soul.
— 7. The matter is solemnly left with the reader, as before God. The
sinner yielding to these entreaties, and declaring his acceptance of
miration by Christ.

1. Thi7.? ^^^ have I often known convictions and im-
pressions to arise, (if I might judge by the strongest

Ch. 10.] THE SINNER ENTREATED. 85

appearances,) which after all have worn off again. Some
unhappy circumstance of external temptation, ever joined
by the inward reluctance of an unsanctified heart to this
holy and humbling scheme of redemption, has been the
ruin of multitudes. And, " through the deceitfulness of
sin, they have been hardened," (Heb. iii. 25.) till they
seem to have been " utterly destroyed, and that without
remedy." Prov. xxix. 1. And therefore, 0 thou immortal
creature, who art now reading these lines, I beseech thee,
that, while affairs are in this critical situation, while there
are these balancings of mind, between accepting and re-
jecting that glorious Gospel, which, in the integrity of my
heart, I have now been laying before you, you would once
more give me an attentive audience while I plead, in God's
behalf, shall I say? or rather in your own ; while " as an
ambassador for Christ, and as though God did beseech
you by me, I pray you in Christ's stead that you would be
reconciled to God," (2 Cor. v. 20.) and would not, after
these awakenings and these inquiries, by a madness which
it will surely be the doleful business of a miserable eter-
nity to lament, reject this compassionate counsel of God
toward you.

2. One would indeed imagine there should be no need
of importunity here. One would conclude, that as soon
as perishing sinners are told, that an offended God is ready
to be reconciled, that he offers them a full pardon for all
their aggravated sins ; yea, that he is willing to adopt them
into his family now, that he may at length admit them
to his heavenly presence ; all should, with the utmost
readiness and pleasure, embrace so kind a message, and
fall at his feet in speechless transports of astonishment,
gratitude, and joy. But, alas ! we find it much otherwise.
We see multitudes quite unmoved, and the impressions
which are made on many more are feeble and transient.
Lest it should be thus with you, O reader ! let me urge
the message with which I have the honour to be charged :
let me entreat you to be reconciled to God, and to accept
of pardon and salvation in the way in which it is so freely
offered to you.

3. I entreat you, " by the majesty of that God in whose
name I come," whose voice fills all heaven with reve-
rence and obedience. He speaks not in vain to legions

.86 THE SINNER ENTREATED. [Ch. 10.

of angels; but if there could be any contention among
those blessed spirits, it would be, who should be first to
execute his commands. Oh ! let him not speak in vain
to a wretched mortal ! I entreat you, " by the terrors of
his wrath," who could speak to you in thunder ; who
could, by one single act of his will, cut off this precarious
life of yours, and send you down to hell. I beseech you
by his mercies, by his tender mercies, by the bowels of
his compassion, which still yearn over you, as those of a
parent over " a dear son," over a tender child, whom,
notwithstanding his former ungrateful rebellion, " he ear-
nestly remembers still." Jer. xxxi. 20. I beseech and en-
treat you, " by all this paternal goodness," that you do
not, as it were, compel him to lose the character of the
gentle Parent in that of the righteous Judge ; so that, as
he threatens with regard to those whom he had just called
his sons and his daughters, " a fire shall be kindled in his
anger, which shall burn unto the lowest hell." Deut.
xxxii. 19, 22.

4. I beseech you further, "by the name and love of our
dying Saviour." I beseech you, by all the condescension
of his incarnation, by that poverty to which he voluntarily
submitted, "that you might be enriched" with eternal
treasures ; (2 Cor. viii. 9.) by all the gracious invitations
which he gave, which still sound in his word, and still
coming, as it were, warm from his heart, are " sweeter
than honey, or the honey-comb." Psalm xix. 10. I be-
seech you, by all his glorious works of power and of vyon-
der, which were also works of love. I beseech you by
the memory of the most benevolent person and the most
generous friend. I beseech you by the memory of what
he suffered, as well as of what he said and did ; by the
agony which he endured in the garden, when his body
was covered " with a dew of blood." Luke, xxii. 44. I
beseech you, by all that tender distress which he felt,
when his dearest friends " forsook him and fled," (Matt.
xxvi. 66.) and his blood-thirsty enemies dragged him
away, like the meanest of slaves, and like the vilest of
criminals. I beseech you, by the blows and bruises, by
the stripes and lashes, which this injured Sovereign en-
dured while in their rebellious hands ; " by the shame of
spitting, from which he hid not that kind and venerable

Ch. 10.] THE SIKNKR ENTREATED* 87

countenance." Isai. I. 6. I beseech you, "by the purple
robe, the sceptre of reed, and the crown of thorns, which
this King of Glory wore, that he might set us among the
princes of heaven." Psalm cxiii. 8. I beseech you, by the
heavy burden of " the cross," under which he panted, and
toiled, and fainted, in the painful way " to Golgotha,"
(John, xix. 17.) that he might free us from the burden of
our sins. I beseech you, by the remembrance of those
rude i^ails that tore the veins and arteries, the nerves and
tendons, of his sacred hands and feet ; and by that invin-
cible, that triumphant goodness, which, while the iron
pierced his flesh, engaged him to cry out, " Father, for-
give them, for they know not what they do." Luke, xxiii.
34. I beseech you, by that unutterable anguish which he
bore, when lifted up upon the cross, and extended there,
as on a rack, for six painful hours, that you open your heart
to those attractive influences which have " drawn to him
thousands and ten thousands." John, xii. 32. I beseech
you, by all that insult and derision which the " Lord of
Glory bore there ;" (Matt, xxvii. 29 — 44.) by that parch-
ing thirst, which could hardly obtain the relief of "vine-
gar," (John, xix. 28,29.) by that doleful cry, so astonish-
ing in the mouth of the only begotten of the Father, " My
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" Matt, xxvii.
46. I beseech you, by that grace that subdued and pardon-
ed " a dying malefactor;" (Luke, xxiii. 42, 43.) by that
compassion for sinners, by that compassion for you, which
wrought in his heart, long as its vital motion continued,
and which ended not when " he bowed his head, saying,
It is finished, and gave up the ghost." John, xix. 30. I
beseech you, by the triumphs of that resurrection, by which
he was " declared to be the Son of God with power," by
the spirit of holiness which wrought to accomplish it,
(Rom. i. 4.) by that gracious tenderness which attemper-
ed all those triumphs, when he said to her out of whom
he had cast seven devils, concerning his disciples, who
had treated him so basely, " Go, tell my brethren, I ascend
unto my Father and your Father, unto my God and your
God." John, xx. 17. I beseech you, by that condescension
with which he said to Thomas, when his unbelief had
made such an unreasonable demand, " Reach hither thy
finger, and behold mine hands, and reach hither thine

88 THE SINNER ENTREATED. [Ch. 10.

hand, and thrust it into my side ; and be not faithless, but
believing." John, xx. 27. I beseech you, by that gene-
rous and faithful care of his people, which he carried up
with him to the regions of glory, and which engaged him
to send down " his Spirit," in that rich profusion of mira-
culous gifts, to spread the progress of his saving word.
Acts ii. 33. I beseech you, by that voice of sympathy and
power, with which he said to Saul, while injuring his
church, " Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?" (Acts,
ix. 4.) by that generous goodness, which spared that pros-
trate enemy when he lay trembling at his feet, and raised
him to so high a dignity, as to be " not inferior to the very
chiefest apostles." 2 Cor. xii. 11. I beseech you, by the
memory of all that Christ hath already done, by the ex-
pectation of all he will farther do for his people. I be-
seech you at once, by the sceptre of his grace, and by that
sword of his justice, with which all his incorrigible *' ene-
mies" shall be "slain before him," (Luke, xix. 20.) that
you do not trifle away these precious moments, while his
Spirit is thus breathing upon you ; that you do not lose an
opportunity which may never return, and on the improve-
ment of which your eternity depends.

5. I beseech you, "by all the bowels of compassion
which you owe to the faithful ministers of Christ," who
are studying and labouring, preaching and praying, wear-
ing out their time, exhausting their strength, and very
probably shortening their lives, for the salvation of your
soul, and of souls like yours. I beseech you, by the affec-
tion with which all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sin-
cerity long to see you brought back to him. I beseech you,
by the friendship of the living, and by the memory of the
dead ; by the ruin of those who have trifled away their
days, and peri-shed in their sins, and by the happiness of
those who have embraced the Gospel, and are saved by it.
I beseech you, by the great expectation of that important
" day, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven ;"
(2 Thess. i. 7.) by " the terrors of a dissolving world ;'*
(2 Pet. iii. 10.) by the "sound of the archangel's trumpet,"
(1 Thess. iv. 16.) and of that infinitely more awful sen-
tence, "Come, ye blessed," and "Depart, ye cursed," with
which that grand solemnity shall close. Matt. xxv. 34, 41

6. I beseech you, finally, by your own precious and im-

Ch. 10.] THE SINNER EIsTREATED. 89

mortal soul ; by the sure prospect of a dying bed, or of a
sudden surprise into the invisible state ; and as you would
feel one spark of comfort in your departing spirit, when
your flesh and your heart are failing. I beseech yon, by
your own personal appearance before the tribunal of Christ,
(for a personal appearance it must be, even to them who
now sit on thrones of their own ;) by all the transports of
the blessed, and by all the agonies of the damned, the one
or the other of which must be your everlasting portion. I
affectionately entreat and beseech you, in the strength of
all these united considerations, as you will answer it to me,
who may in that day be summoned to testify against you ;
and, which is unspeakably more, as you will answer it to
your conscience, as you will answer it to the eternal Judge,
that you dismiss not these thoughts, these meditations, and
these cares, till you have brought matters to a happy issue ;
till you have made a resolute choice of Christ, and his
appointed way of salvation, and till you have solemnly
devoted yourself to God in the bonds of an everlasting
covenant.

7. And thus I leave the matter before you, and before
the Lord. I have told you my errand ; I have discharged
my embassy. Stronger arguments I cannot use, more en-
dearing and more awful considerations I cannot suggest.
Choose, therefore, whether you will go out, as it were
clothed in sackcloth, to cast yourself at the feet of him
who now sends you these equitable and gracious terms of
peace and pardon ; or whether you will hold it out till he
appears sword in hand, to reckon with you for your trea-
sons and your crimes, and for this neglected embassy
among the rest of them. Fain would I hope the best; nor
can I believe that this labour of love shall be so entirely
unsuccessful, that not one soul shall be brought to the foot
of Christ in cordial submission and humble faith. " Take
with you," therefore, " words, and turn unto the Lord ;"
(Hos. xiv. 2.) and, oh ! that those which follow might in
effect at least be the genuine language of every one that
reads them!

90 SINNER YIELDING TO ENTREATIES. [Ch. 10.

The Sinner yielding to these Entreaties, and declaring his acceptance
of Salvation by Christ.

" Blessed Lord, it is enough ! It is loo much ! Surely
there needs not this variety of arguments, this importunity
of persuasion, to court me to be happy, to prevail on me
to accept of pardon, of life, of eternal glory. Compassionate
Saviour^ my soul is subdued; so that I trust the language
of thy grief is become that of my penitence, and I may say,
'my heart is melted like wax in the midst of my bowels.'
Psalm xxii. 14.

"0 gracious Redeemer! I have already neglected thee
too long. I have too often injured thee : have crucified
thee afresh by my guilt and impenitence, as if I had taken
pleasure in ' putting thee to an open shame.' Heb. vi. 6.
But my heart now bows itself before thee in humble, un
feigned submission. I desire to make no terms with thee
but these — that I may be entirely thine. I cheerfully pre-
sent thee with a blank, entreating thee that thou wilt do
me the honour to signify upon it what is thy pleasure.
Teach me, 0 Lord, what thou wouldst have me to do ! for
I desire to learn the lesson, and to learn it that I may prac-
tise it. If it be more than my feeble powers can answer,
thou wilt, I hope, give me more strength ; and in that
strength I will serve thee. 0 receive a soul, which thou
hast made willing to be thine !

" No more, O blessed Jesus, no more is it necessary to be-
seech and entreat me. Permit me rather to address myself
to thee, with all the importunity of a perishing sinner, that
at length sees and knows ' there is salvation in no other!'
Acts, iv. 12. Permit me now. Lord, to come and throw
myself at thy feet, like a helpless outcast, that has no shel-
ter but in tliy gracious compassion ! like one ^ pursued by
the avenger of blood,' and seeking earnestly an admit-
tance ' into the city of refuge !' Josh. xx. 2, 3.

" ' I wait for the Lord ; my soul doth wait ; and in thy
word do I hope,' (Psalm cxxx. 5.) that thou wilt 'receive
me graciously.' Hos. xiv. 2 My soul confides in thy
goodness, and adores it. I adore the patience which has
borne with me so long ; and the grace that now makes me
heartily willing to be thine : to be thine on thine own terms,
thine on any terms. O secure this treacherous heart to thy*

t/h. 11.] APPEAL TO THE DOUBTING. 91

self! 0 unite me to thee in. such inseparable bonds, that
none of the allurements of flesh and blood, none of the
vanities of an ensnaring world, none of the solicitations of
sinful companions, may draw me back from thee, and
plunge me into new guilt and ruin ! 'Be surety, 0 Lord,
for thy servant for good,' (Psalm cxix. 122.) that I may
still keep my hold on thee, and so on eternal life ; till at
length I know more fully, by joyful and everlasting expe-
rience, how complete a Saviour thou art. Amen."

CHAPTER XL

A SOLEMN ADDRESS TO THOSE WHO WILL NOT BE PERSDADED TO FALL
IN WITH THE DESIGN OF THE GOSPEL.

1. Universal success not to be expected. — 2 — 4. Yet, as unwilling ab-
solutely to give up any, the author addresses those who doubt the
truth of Christianity, urging an inquiry into its evidences, and di-
recting to proper methods for that purpose. — 5. Those who deter-
mine to give it up without further examination. — 6. ^l7id presume
to set themselves to oppose it. — 7, 8. Those tvho specidatively assent
to Christianity as true, and yet will sit down without any practical
regard to its most important and acknoivledged trulhs. Such are
dismissed toith a representation of the absurdity of their conduct
on their own principles. — 9, 10. With a solemn ivarning of its fatal
consequences. — 11. Jlnd a compassionate prayer, which concludes
the chapter, and this part of the work.

1. I would humbly hope, that the preceding chapters
will be the means of awakening some stupid and insensi-
ble sinners, the means of convincing them of their need
of Gospel-salvation, and of engaging some cordially to
accept it. Yet I cannot flatter myself so far as to hope this
should be the case, with regard to all into whose hands
this book shall come. " What am I, alas ! better than my
fathers," (1 Kings, xix. 4.) or better than my brethren,
who have in all ages bee,n repeating their complaint, with
regard to multitudes, that they " have stretched out their
hand all day long to a disobedient and gainsaying people ?"
Rom. X. 21. Many such may, perhaps, be found in the
number of my readers ; many, on whom neither consider-
ations of terror, nor of love, will make any deep and last-
ing impression ; many, who, as our Lord learned by

92 APPEAL TO THE DOUBTING. [Ch. 11.

experience to express it, " when we pipe to them, wall not
dance; and when we mourn unto them, will not lament."
Matt. xi. 17. I can say no more to persuade them, if they
make light of what I have already said. Here, therefore,
we must part : in this chapter I must take my leave of
them ; and O that I could do it in such a manner, as to
fix, at parting, some conviction upon their hearts, that,
though I seem to leave them for a little while, and send
them back to review again the former chapters, as those
in which alone they have any present concern, they might
soon, as it were, overtake me again, and find a suitable-
ness in the remaining part of this treatise, which at present
they cannot possibly find. Unhappy creatures, I quit you
as a physician quits a patient whom he loves, and is just
about to give over as incurable : he returns again and
again, and re-examines the several symptoms, to observe
whether there be not some one of them more favoura-
ble than the rest, which may encourage a renewed appli-
cation.

2. So would I once more return to you. You do not find
in yourself any disposition to embrace the Gospel, to ap-
ply yourself to Christ, to give yourself up to the service
of God, and to make religion the business of your life.
But if I cannot prevail upon you to do this, let me engage
you, at least, to answer me, or rather to answer your own
conscience, " Why you will not do it ?" Is it owing to any
secret disbelief of the great principles of religion ? If it
be, the case is different from what I have yet considered,
and the cure must be different. This is not a place to com-
bat w ith the scruples of infidelity. Nevertheless, I would
desire you seriously to inquire, " How far those scruples
extend.?" Do they affect any. particular doctrine of the
Gospel on which my argument- hath turned ; or do they
affect the whole Christian revelation .? Or do they reach
yet farther, and extend themselves to natural religion, as
well as revealed, so that it should be a doubt with you,
whether there be any God, and providence, and future
state, or not ? As these cases are all different, so it will be
of great importance to distinguish the one from the other ;
that you may know on what principles to build as certain,
in the examination of those concerning which you are yet
in doubt. But, whatever these doubts are, I would farther

Ch. 11.] APPEAL TO THE DOUBTING, 93

ask you, " How long have tbey continued, and what
method have you taken to get them resolved ?" Do you
imagine, that, in matters of such moment, it will be an
allowable case for you to trifle on, neglecting to inquire
into the evidence of these things, and then plead your not
being satisfied in that evidence, as an excuse for not acting
according to them ? Must not the principles of common
sense assure you, that, if these things be true, as when you
talk of doubting about them, you acknowledge it, at least,
possible, they may be, they are of infinitely greater im-
portance than any of the affairs of life, whether of busi-
ness or pleasure, for the sake of which you neglect them ?
Why, then, do you continue indolent and unconcerned, from
week to week, and from month to month, which probably
conscience tells you is the case ?

3. Do you ask, " What method you should take to be
resolved ?" It is no hard question. Open your eyes : set
yourself to think : let conscience speak, and verily do I
believe, that, if it be not seared in an uncommon degree,
you will find shrewd forebodings of the certainty both of
natural and revealed religion, and of the absolute necessity
of repentance, faith, and holiness, to a life of future feli-
city. If you are a person of any learning, you cannot bv<t
know by what writers, and in what treatises, these great
truths are defended. And if you are not, you may find, in
almost every town and neighbourhood, persons capable of
informing you in the main evidences of Christianity, and
of answering such scruples against it as unlearned minds
may have met with. Set yourself, then, in the name of God,
immediately to consider the matter. If you study at all,
bend your studies close this way, and trifle not with ma-
thematics, or poetry, or history, or law, or physic, which
are all comparatively light as a feather, while you neglect
this. Study the arguments as for your life ; for much more
than life depends on it. See how far you are satisfied,
and why that satisfaction reaches no farther. Compare evi-
dences on both sides. And, above all, consider the design
and tendency of the New-Testament. See to what it will
lead you, and all them that cordially obey it; and then say,
whether it be not good. And consider, how naturally its
truth is connected with its goodness. Trace the character
and sentiments of its authors, whose living image, if I may

94 APPEAL TO THE DOUBTING. [Ch. 11.

be allowed the expression, is still preserved in their writ-
ings ; and then ask your heart, can you think this was a
forgery, an impious, cruel forgery ? For such it must have
been, if it were a forgery at all : a scheme to mock God,
and to ruin men, even the best of men, such as reverenced
conscience, and would abide all extremities for what they
apprehended to be truth. Put the question to your own
heart, Can I in my conscience believe it to be such an im-
posture ? Can I look up to an Omniscient God, and say,
*' O Lord, thouknowest that il is in reverence to thee, and
in love to truth and virtue, that I reject this book, and the
method to happiness here laid down.' "

4. But there are difficulties in the way. And what then ?
Have those difficulties never been cleared ? Go to the liv-
ing advocates for Christianity, to those of whose abilities,
candour, and piety, you have the best opinion, if your pre-
judices will give you leave to have a good opinion of any
such ; tell them your difficulties ; hear their solutions ;
weigh them seriously, as those who know^ they must an-
swer it to God ; and while doubts continue, follow the
truth as far as it will lead you, and take heed that you do
not "imprison it in unrighteousness.'^ Rom. i. 18. No-
thing appears more inconsistent and absurd, than for a man
solemnly to pretend dissatisfaction in the evidences of the
Gospel, as a reason why he cannot in conscience be a
thorough Christian ; when at the same time he violates the
most apparent dictates of reason and conscience, and lives
in vices condemned even by the heathen. O sirs ! Christ
has judged concerning such, and judged most righteously
and most wisely : " They do evil, and therefore they hate
the light, neither come they to the light, lest their deeds
should be made manifest, and be reproved." John, iii. 20.
But there is a light that will make manifest and reprove
their works, to which they will be compelled to come,
and the painful scrutiny of which they shall be forced to
abide.

5. In the mean time, if you are determined to inquire
no farther into the matter now, give me leave, at least,
from a sincere concern that you may not heap upon your
head more aggravated ruin, to entreat you that you would
be cautious how you expose yourself to yet greater danger,
by what you must yourself own to be unnecessary ; I

Ch. 11.] DREADFUL CASE Of THE DEIST. 96

mean attempts to prevent others from believing the truth
of the Gospel. Leave them, for God's sake, and for your
own, in possession of those pleasures and those hopes,
which nothing but Christianity can give them ; and act not
as if you were solicitous to add to the guilt of an infidel
the tenfold damnation, which they, who have been the
perverters and destroyers of the souls of others, must ex-
pect to meet, if that Gospel, which they have so adven-
turously opposed, shall prove, as it certainly will, a serious,
and to them a dreadful truth.

6. If I cannot prevail here, (but the pride of displaying
a superiority of understanding should bear on such a reader,
even in opposition to his own favourite maxims of the
innocence of error and the equality of all religions con-
sistent with social virtue, to do his utmost to trample down
the Gospel with contempt,) I would, hov/ever, dismiss him
with one proposal, which I think the importance of the
affair may fully justify. If you have done with your ex-
amination into Christianity, and determine to live and con-
duct yourself as if it were assuredly false, sit down, then,
and make a memorandum of that determination. Write it
down :

" On such a day of such a year, I deliberately resolved
that I would live and die rejecting Christianity myself, and
doing all I could to overthrow it. This day I determined,
not only to renounce all subjection to, and expectation from,
Jesus of Nazareth, but also to make it a serious part of the
business of my life, to destroy, as far as I possibly can, all
regard to him in the minds of others, and to exert my most
vigorous efforts, in the way of reasoning or of ridicule, to
sink the credit of his religion, and, if it be possible, to root
it out of the world ; in calm, steady defiance of that day,
when his followers say, He shall appear in so much ma-
jesty and terror-, to execute the vengeance threatened to
his enemies."

Dare you write this, and sign it? I firmly believe, that
many a man, who would be thought a deist, and endea-
vours to increase the number, would not. And if you in
particular dare not do it, whence does that small remainder
of caution arise? The cause is plain. There is in your
conscience some secret apprehension, that this rejected,
this opposed, this derided Gospel, may, after all, prove

96 ADDRESS TO NOMINAL CHRISTIANS. [Ch. 11.

true. And if there be such an apprehension, then let con-
science do its office, and convict you of the impious mad-
ness of acting as if it were most certainly and demonstrably
false. Let it tell you at large, how possible it is, that
*' haply you may be found fighting against God ;" (Acts,
V. 39.) that, bold as you are in defying the terrors of the
Lord, you may possibly fall into his hands ; may chance
to hear that despised sentence, which, when you hear it
from the mouth of the eternal Judge, you will not be able
to despise. I will repeat it again, in spite of all your scorn :
you may hear the King say to you, " Depart, accursed,
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."
Matt. XXV. 41. And now, go and pervert and burlesque
the Scripture, go and satirize the character of its heroes,
and ridicule the sublime discourses of its prophets and its
apostles, as some have done, who have left behind them
but the short-lived monuments of their ignorance, their
profaneness, and their malice. Go, and spread, like them,
the banners of infidelity, and pride thyself in the number
of credulous creatures listed under them. But take heed,
lest the insulted Galilean direct a secret arrow to thine
heart, and stop thy licentious breath, before it has finished
the next sentence thou wouldst utter against him.

7. I will turn myself from the deist or the sceptic, and
direct my address to the nominal Christian ; if he may
upon any terms be called a Christian, who feels not, after
all I have pleaded, a disposition to subject himself to the
government and the grace of that Saviour whose name he
bears. 0 sinner, thou art turning aw^ay from my Lord, in
whose cause I speak; but let me earnestly entreat thee
seriously to consider why thou art turning away ; and
^' to whom thou wilt go," from him whom thou acknow-
ledgest " to have the words of eternal life." John, vi. 68.
You call yourself a Christian, and yet will not by any
means be persuaded to seek salvation in good earnest from
and through Jesus Christ, whom you call your Master and
Lord. How do you for a moment excuse this negligence
to your own conscience ? If I had urged you on any con-
troverted point, it might have altered the case. If I had
laboured hard to make you the disciple of any particular
party of Christians, your delay might have been more rea-
sonable; nay, perhaps your refusing to acquiesce might

Ch. 11.] ADDRESS TO NOMINAL CHRISTIANS. 97

have been an act of apprehended duty to our common
Master. But is it matter of controversy among Christians,
whether there be a great, holy, and righteous God ; and
whether such a Being, whom we agree to own, should be
reverenced and loved, or neglected and dishonoured ? Is
it matter of controversy, whether a sinner should deeply
and seriously repent of his sins, or whether he should go
on in them ? Is it a disputed point amongst us, whether
Jesus became incarnate, and died upon the cross, for the
redemption of sinners, or not ? And if it be not, can it be
disputed by them who believe him to be the Son of God
and the Saviour of men, whether a sinner should seek to
him, or neglect him ; or whether one who professes to be
a Christian should depart from iniquity, or give himselt
up to the practice of it ? Are the precepts of our great
Master written so obscurely in his word, that there should
be room seriously to question, whether he require a de-
vout, holy, humble, spiritual, watchful, self-denying life,
or whether he allow the contrary ? Has Christ, after all
his pretensions of bringing life and immortality to light,
left it more uncertain than he found it, whether there be
any future state of happiness and misery^ or for whom these
states are respectively intended ? Is it a matter of contro-
versy, whether God will, or will not, " bring every work
into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be
good, or whether it be evil ?" (Eccles. xii. 14.) or whe-
ther, at the conclusion of that judgment, " the wicked
shall go away into everlasting punishment, and the righte-
ous into life eternal ?" Matt. xxv. 46. You will not, I am
sure, for very shame, pretend any doubt about these things,
and yet call yourself a Christian. Why then will you not
be persuaded to lay them to heart, and to act as duty and
interest so evidently require ? 0 sinner, the cause is too
obvious, a cause indeed quite unworthy of being called a
reason. It is because thou art blinded and besotted with
thy vanities and thy lusts. It is because thou hast some
perishing trifle, which charms thy imagination and thy
senses, so that it is dearer to thee than God and Christ,
than thy own soul and its salvation. It is, in a word, be-
cause thou art still under the influence of that carnal mind,
which, whatever pious forms it may sometimes admit and
pretend, " is enmity against God, and is not subject to the
5

98 sinner's awful end. [Ch. 11.

law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. viii. 7. And
therefore thou art in the very case of those wretches, con-
cerning whom our Lord said in the days of his flesh, " Ye
will not come unto me, that ye might have life," (John,
V. 40.) and therefore " ye shall die in your sins." John,
viii. 24.

8. In this case I see not what it can signify, to renew
those expostulations and addresses which I have made in
the former chapters. As our blessed Redeemer says of
those vv ho reject his Gospel, " Ye have both seen and
hated both me and my Father," (John, xv. 24.) so may I
truly say with regard to you, I have endeavoured to show
you, in the plainest and the clearest words, both Christ and
the Father ; I have urged the obligations you are under to
both ; I have laid before you your guilt and your condem-
nation ; I have pointed out the only remedy; I have pointed
out the rock on which I have built my own eternal hopes,
and the way in which alone I expect salvation. I have re-
commended those things to you, which, if God gives me
an opportunity, I will, with my dying breath, earnestly and
affectionately recommend to my own children, and to all
the dearest friends that I have upon earth, who may then
be near me, esteeming it the highest token of my friend-
ship, the surest proof of my love to them. And if, believ-
ing the Gospel to be true, you resolve to reject it, I have
nothing farther to say, but that you must abide the conse-
quence.— Yet, as Moses, when he went out from the pre-
sence of Pharaoh for the last time, finding his heart yet
more hardened by all the judgments and deliverances with
which he had formerly been exercised, denounced upon
him " God's pass'i g through the land in terror to smite
the first-born with death, and warned him of that great
and lamentable cry, which the sword of the destroying
angel should raise throughout all his realm;" (Exod. xi.
4 — 6.) so will I, sinner, now when I am quitting thee,
speak to thee yet again, " whether thou wilt hear, or whe-
ther thou wilt forbear," (Ezek. ii. 7.) and denounce that
much more terrible judgment, which the sword of divine
vengeance, already whetted and drawn, and " bathed, as
it were, in heaven," (Isai. xxxiv. 5.) is preparing against
thee J which shall end in a much more doleful cry, though
thou wert greater and more obstinate than that haughty

Ch. 11.] sinner's death. 99

monarch. Yes, sinner, that I may, with the apostle Paul,
when turning to others who are more likely to hear me,
" shake my raiment, and say, I am pure from your blood,"
(Acts, xviii. 6.) I will once more tell you what the end of
these things will be. And, 0 that I could speak to pur-
pose ! 0 that I could thunder in thine ear such a peal of
terror, as might awaken thee, and be too loud to be drowned
in all the noise of carnal mirth, or to be deadened by those
dangerous opiates with which thou art contriving to stupify
thy conscience !

9. Seek what amusements and entertainments thou wilt,
O sinner ! I tell thee, if thou wert equal in dignity, and
power, and magnificence, to the " great monarch of Baby-
lon, thy pomp shall be brought down to the grave, and all
the sound of thy viols ; the worm shall be spread under
thee, and the worm shall cover thee ;" (Isai. xiv. 11.) yes,
sinner, " the end of these things is death !" (Rom. vi. 21.)
death in its most terrible sense to thee, if this continue thy
governing temper. Thou canst not avoid it ; and, if it be
possible for any thing that I can say to prevent, thou shalt
not forget it. Your " strength is not the strength of stones,
nor is your flesh of brass." Job, vi. 12. You are accessible
to disease, as well as others ; and if some sudden accident
do not prevent it, we shall soon see how heroically you
will behave yourself on a dying bed, and in the near views
of eternity. You, that now despise Christ, and trifle with
his Gospel, we shall see you droop and languish ; shall see
all your relish for your carnal recreations and your vain
companions lost. And if perhaps one and another of them
bolt in upon you, and is brutish and desperate enough to
attempt to entertain a dying man with a gay story, or a
profane jest, we shall see how you will relish it. We shall
see what comfort you will have in reflecting on what is
past, or what hope in looking forward to what is to come.
Perhaps, trembling and astonished, you will then be in-
quiring, in a wild kind of consternation, " what you shall
do to be saved :" calling for the ministers of Christ, whom
you now despise for the earnestness with which they would
labour to save your soul ! and it may be falling into a de-
lirium, or dying convulsions, before they can come. Or
perhaps we may see you flattering yourself, through a
long, lingering illness, that you shall still recover, and pu^

4 < w \ C

100 SINNER IN THE JUDGMENT. [Ch. 11

ting off any serious reflection and conversation, for fear it
should overset your spirits. And the cruel kindness of
friends and physicians, as if they were in league with
Satan to make the destruction of your soul as sure as pos-
sible, may perhaps abet this fatal deceit.

10. And if any of these probable cases happen, that is,
in short, unless a miracle of grace snatch you " as a brand
out of the burning," when the flames have, as it were, al-
ready taken hold of you ; all these gloomy circumstances,
which pass in the chambers of illness and on the bed of
death, are but the forerunners of infinitely more dreadful
things. Oh ! who can describe them ? Who can imagine
them ? When surviving friends are tenderly mourning over
the breathless corpse, and taking a fond farewell of it before
it is laid to consume away in the dark and silent grave, into
what hands, 0 sinner ! will thy soul be fallen ? What scenes
will open upon thy separate spirit, even before thy deserted
flesh be cold, or thy sightless eyes are closed ? It shall then
know what it is to return to God, to be rejected by him as
having rejected his Gospel and his Son, and despised the
only treaty of reconciliation ; and that so amazingly con-
descending and gracious ! Thou shalt know what it is to
be disownf^d by Christ, whom thou hast refused to enter-
tain ; and what it is, as the certain and immediate conse-
quence of that, to be left in the hands of the maH;[>;nant
spirits of hell. There will be no more friendship then :
none to comfort, none to alleviate thy agony and distress ;
but, on the contrary, all around thee labouring to aggra-
vate and increase them. Thou shalt pass away the inter-
mediate years of the separate state in dreadful expectation,
and bitter outcries of horror and remorse. And then thou
shalt hear the trumpet of the archangel, in whatever cavern
of that gloomy v\^orld thou art lodged. Its sound shall pe-
netrate thy prison, where, doleful and horrible as it is, thou
shalt nevertheless wish that thou mightest still be allowed
to hide thy guilty head, rather than show it before the face
of that awful Judge, before whom " heaven and earth are
fleeing away." Rev. xx. 11. But thou must come forth,
and be re~united to a body nov/ formed for ever to endure
agonies, which in this mortal state would have dissolved
it in a moment. You would not be persuaded to come to
Christ before : you would stupidly neglect him, in spite of

Ch. 11.] SINNER AN OBJECT OF PRAYER. 101

reason, in spite of conscience, in spite of all the tender so-
licitations of the Gospel, and the repeated admonitions of
its most faithful ministers. But now, sinner, you shall have
an interview with him ; if that may be called an interview,
in which you will not dare to lift up your head, to view the
face of your tremendous and inexorable Judge. There, at
least, how distant soever the time of our life and the place
of our abode may have been, there shall we see how cou-
rageously your heart will endure, and how " strong your
hands will be when the Lord doth this." Ezek. xxii. 14.
There shall I see thee, 0 reader ! whoever thou art that
goest on in thine impenitency, among thousands and ten
thousands of despairing wretches, trembling and confound-
ed. There shall I hear thy cries among the rest, rending
the very heavens in vain. The Judge will rise from his
throne with majestic composure, and leave thee to be
hurried down to those everlasting burnings, to which his
righteous vengeance hath doomed thee, because thou
wouldst not be saved from them. Hell shall shut its mouth
upon thee for ever, and the sad echo of thy groans and
outcries shall be lost, amidst the hallelujahs of heaven, to
all that find mercy of the Lord in that day.

11. This will most assuredly be the end of these things ;
and thou, as a nominal Christian, professest to know, and
to believe it. It moves my heart, at least, if it moves not
thine. I firmly believe, that every one, who himself ob-
tains salvation and glory, will bear so much of his Saviour's
image in wisdom and goodness, in zeal for God, and a
steady regard to the happiness of the whole creation, that
he will behold this sad scene with calm approbation, and
without any painful commotion of mind. But as yet I am
flesh and blood ; and therefore my bowels are troubled, and
mine eyes often overflow with grief, to think that wretched
sinners will have no more compassion upon their own
souls ; to think, that, in spite of all admonition, they will
obstinately run upon final, everlasting destruction. It would
signify nothing here to add a prayer or a meditation for
your use. Poor creature, you will not meditate ! you will
not pray ! Yet, as I have often poured out my heart in

Erayer over a dying friend, when the force of his distemper
as rendered him incapable of joining with me, so I will
now apply myself to God for you, 0 unhappy creature !

102 PRAYER FOR AN IMPENITENT SINNER. [Oh. H-

And if you disdain so much as to read what my compassion
dictates, yet I hope, they who have felt the power of the
Gospel on their own souls, as they cannot but pity such as
you, will join wath me in such cordial, though broken
petitions as these :

A Prayer in behalf of an Impenitent Sinner, in the case just
' described.

"Almighty God! ^with thee all things are possible.^
Matt. xix. 26. To thee therefore do I humbly apply my-
self in behalf of this dear immortal soul, which thou here
seest perishing in its sins, and hardening itself against that
everlasting Gospel, which has been the power of God to
the salvation of so many thousands and millions. Thou
art witness, 0 blessed God ! thou art witness to the plain-
ness and seriousness with which the message has been
delivered. It is in thy presence that these awful words
have been written ; and in thy presence have they been
read. Be pleased, therefore, to record it in the book of
thy remembrance, that ' so, if this wicked man dieth in
his iniquity, after the warning has been so plainly and so-
lemnly given him, his blood may not be required at my
hand,' (Ezek. xxxiii. 8, 9.) nor at the hand of that Chris-
tian friend, whoever he is, by whom this book has been
procured for him, with a sincere desire for the salvation of
his soul. Be witness, 0 bleissed "^ Jesus, in the day in
which thou shalt judge the secrets of all hearts,' (Rom. ii.
16.) that thy Gospel hath been preached to this hardened
wretch, and salvation by thy blood hath been offered him,
though he continued to despise it. And may thy unwor-
thy messenger be ' unto God a sweet savour in Christ,' in
this very soul, even though it should at last perish ! 2 Cor.
ii. 15.

" But, oh ! that after all his hardness and impenitence,
thou wouldst still be pleased, by the sovereign power of
thine efficacious grace, to awaken and convert him ! Well
do we know, 0 thou Lord of universal nature! that he
who made the soul, can cause the sword of conviction to
come near and enter into it. 0 that, in thine infinite wis-
dom and love, thou wouldst find out a way to interpose,
and save this sinner from death, from eternal death ! O
that, if it be thy blessed will, thou wouldst immediately do

Ch 11.] PRAYER FOR AN IMPENITENT SINNER. 103

it ! thou knowest, 0 God, he is a dying creature ! thou
knowest that if any thing be done for him, it must be
done quickly ! thou seest, in the book of thy wise and
gracious decrees, a moment marked, which must seal him
up in an unchangeable state ! 0 that thou wouldst lay
hold on him, while he is yet 'joined to the living, and
hath hope !' Eccles. ix. 4. Thy immutable laws, in the
dispensation of grace, forbid that a soul should be convert-
ed and renewed after its entrance into the invisible world :
O let thy sacred Spirit work while he is yet as it were
within the sphere of its operations ! Work, 0 God, by
whatever method thou pleasest ; only have mercy upon
him ! 0 Lord ! have mercy upon him, that he sink not
into these depths of damnation and ruin, on the very brink
of which he so evidently appears ! 0 that thou wouldst
bring him, if that be necessary, and seem to thee most ex-
pedient, into any depths of calamity and distress ! 0 that,
with Manasseh, he maybe Haken in the thorns, and laden
with the fetters of affliction,' if that may but cause him to
* seek the God of his fathers.' 2 Chron. xxxiii. 11, 12.

" But I prescribe not to thine infinite wisdom. Thou
hast displajed thy power in glorious and astonishing in-
stances ; which I thank thee that I have so circumstan-
tially known, and by the knowledge of them have been for-
tified against the rash confidence of those, who weakly
and arrogantly pronounce that to be impossible, which is
actually done. Thou hast, I know, done that, by a single
thought in retirement, when the happy man reclaimed by
it hath been far from means, and far from ordinances,
which neither the most awful admonitions, nor the most
tender entreaties, nor the most terrible afflictions, nor the
most wonderful deliverances, had been able to effect.

"Glorify thy name, O Lord, and glorify thy grace, in
the method which to thine infinite wisdom shall seem most
expedient ! Only grant, I beseech thee, with all humble
submission to thy will, that this sinner may be saved ! or
if not, that the labour of this part of this treatise may not
be altogether in vain; but that if some reject it to their
aggravated ruin, others may hearken and live ! That those
thy servants, who have laboured for their deliverance and
happiness, may view them in the regions of glory, as the
spoils which thou hast honoured them as the instruments

104 THE DEJECTED SOUL. [Ch. 12.

of recovering ; and may join with them in the hallelujahs
of heaven, ' to him who hath loved us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us,' of
condemned rebels, and accursed, polluted sinners, 'kings
and priests unto God ; to him be glory and dominion for
ever and ever!' Rev. i. 5, 6. Amen."

CHAPTER XII.

AN ADDRESS TO A SOUL SO OVERWHELMED WITH A SENSE OF THE GREAT-
NESS OF ITS SINS, THAT IT DARES NOT APPLY ITSELF TO CHRIST WITH
ANY HOPE OF SALVATION.

1 — 4. The case described at large. — 5.- As it frequently occurs. — 6.
Granting all that the dejected soul charges on itself. — 7. The invita-
tions and promises of Christ give hope. — 8. The reader urged,
under all his burdens and fears, to an humble application to him.
Which is accordingly exemplified in the concluding Reflection and
Prayer.

1. I HAVE now done with those unhappy creatures who
despise the Gospel, and with those who neglect it. With
pleasure do I now turn myself to those who will hear me
with more regard. Among the various cases which now
present themselves to my thoughts, and demand my ten-
der, affectionate, respectful care, there is none more wor-
thy of compassion than that which I have mentioned in
the title of this chapter, none which requires a more im-
mediate attempt of relief.

2. It is very possible some afflicted creature may be
ready to cry out, " It is enough : aggravate my grief and
my distress no more. The sentence you have been so
awfully describing, as what shall be passed and executed
on the impenitent and unbelieving, is my sentence ; and
the terrors of it are my terrors. ' For mine iniquities have
gone up into the heavens,' and my transgressions have
reached unto the clouds. Rev. xviii. 5. My case is quite
singular. Surely there never was so great a sinner as I.
I have received so many mercies, have enjoyed so many
advantages, I have heard so many invitations of Gospel
grace ; and yet my heart has been so hard, and my nature
is so exceeding sinful, and the number and aggravating
circumstances of my provocations have been such, that I

Ch. 12.J THE DEJECTED SOUL. i05

dare not hope. It is enough that God hath supported me
thus long ; it is enough, that, after so many years of wick-
edness, I am yet out of hell. Every day's reprieve is a
mercy at which I am astonished. I lie down, and won-
der that death and damnation have not seized me in my
walks the day past. I arise, and wonder that my bed has
not been my grave ; wonder that my soul is not separated
from my flesh, and surrounded with devils and damned
spirits."

3. " I have indeed heard the message of salvation ; but,
alas ! it seems no message of salvation to me. There are
happy souls that have hope ; and their hope is indeed in
Christ and the grace of God manifested iu him. But then
they feel in their hearts an encouragement to apply to him,
w^hereas I dare not do it. Christ and grace are things in
%vhich I fear I have no part, and must expect none. There
are exceeding rich and precious promises in the word of
God ; but they are to me as a sealed book, and are hid
from me as to any personal use. I know Christ is able to
save : I know he is willing to save some. But that he
should be willing to save me : such a polluted, such a pro-
voking, creature, as God knows, and as conscience knows,
I have been, and to this day am; this I know not how to
believe ; and the utmost that I can do towards believing
it, is to acknowledge that it is not absolutely impossible,
and that I do not lie down in complete despair ; though,
alas ! I seem upon the borders of it, and expect every day
and hour to fall into it."

4. I should not, perhaps, have entered so fully into this
case, if I had not seen many in it ; and I will add, reader, for
your encouragement, if it be your case, several, who now are
iu the number of the most established, cheerful, and useful
Christians. And I hope divine grace will add you to the
rest, if " out of these depths you be enabled to cry unto
God;" (Psalm cxxx. 1.) and though, like Jonah, you may
seem to be cast out from his presence, yet still, with Jo-
nah, you " look towards his holy temple." Jonah, ii. 4.

5. Let it not be imagined, that it is in any neglect of
that blessed Spirit, whose office it is to be the great Com-
forter, that I now attempt to reason you out of this dis-
consolate frame ; for it is as the great source of reason,
that he deals with rational creatures ; and it is in the use

5*

106 THE DEJECTED SOUL. [Ch. 12.

of rational means and considerations, that he may most
justly be expected to operate. Give me leave, therefore,
to address myself calmly to you, and to ask you, what rea-
son you have for all these passionate complaints and ac-
cusations against yourself? What reason have you to sug-
gest that your case is singular, vt^hen so many have told
you they have felt the same? What reason have you to
conclude so hardly against yourself, when the Gospel speaks
in such favourable terms? Or, what reason to imagine,
that the gracious things it says are not intended for you?
You know, indeed, more of the corruptions of your own
heart, than you know of the hearts of others ; and you
make a thousand charitable excuses for their visible fail-
ings and infirmities, which you make not for your own.
And it may be, some of those whom you admire as emi-
nent saints when compared with you, are on their part
humbling themselves in the dust, as unworthy to be num-
bered among the least of God's people, and wishing them-
selves like you, in whom they think they see much more
good, and much less of evil, than in themselves.

6. But to suppose the worst, what if you were really
the vilest sinner that ever lived upon the face of the earth ?
What if " your i.niquities had gone up into the heavens"
every day, and " your transgressions had reached unto the
clouds,'^ (Rev. xviii. 5.) reached thither with such horrid
aggravations, that earth and heaven should have had rea-
son to detest you as a monster of impiety ? Admitting all
this, " is any thing too hard for the Lord ?" Gen. xviii. 14.
Are any sins, of which a sinner can repent, of so deep a
dye, that the blood of Christ cannot wash them away ?
Nay, though it would be daring wickedness and monstrous
folly, for any "to sin that grace may abound," (Rom. vi.
1.) yet had you indeed raised your account beyond all that
divine grace has ever yet pardoned, who should " limit the
holy One of Israel?" (Psahn Ixxviii. 41.) or who shall
pretend to say, that it is impossible that God may, for your
very wretchedness, choose you out from others, to make
you a monument of mercy, and a trophy of hitherto un-
paralleled grace ? The apostle Paul strongly intimates this
to have been the case with regard to himself; and why
might not you likewise, if indeed " the chief of sinners,"
obtain mercy, that m you, as the chief, Jesus Christ might

Ch. 12.] INVITATION TO Cl/RIST. 107

show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them who
shall hereafter believe ?" 1 Tim. i. 15, 16.

7. Gloomy as your apprehensions are, I would ask you
plainly, Do you in your conscience think, that Christ is
not able to save you ? What ! is he not " able to save,
even to the uttermost, them that come unto God by him ?"
Heb. vii. 25. Yes, you will say, abundantly able to do
it; but I dare not imagine that he will do it. And how
do you know that he will not ? He has helped the very
greatest sinners of all that have yet applied themselves to
him ; and he has made thee offers of grace and salvation
in the most engaging and encouraging terms. " If any
man thirst, let him come unto me and drink:" (John, vii.
37.) " let him that is a-thirst come ; and whosoever will,
let him take of the water of life freely." Rev. xxii. 17.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." Matt. xi. 28. And once more,
" Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out."
John, vi. 37. " True," will you say, " none that are given
him by the Father : could I know I were of that number, I
could then apply cheerfully to him." But, dear reader, let
me entreat you to look into the text itself, and see whether
that limitation be expressly added there. Do you there read,
none of them whom the Father hath given me, shall be
cast out ? The words ate in a much more encouraging
form ; and why should you frustrate his wisdom and good-
ness by such an addition of your own ? " Add not to his
words, lest he reprove thee;" (Prov. xxx. 6.) take them
as they stand, and drink in the consolation of them. Our
Lord knew into what perplexity some serious minds might
possibly be thrown by what he had before been saying,
*' All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me ;"
and therefore, as it were on purpose to balance it, he adds
those gracious words, " him that cometh unto me I will
in no wise," by no means, on no consideration whatso-
ever, " cast out."

8. If, therefore, you are already discouraged and terrified
at the greatness of your sins, do not add to their w^eight
and number, that one greater, and worse than all the rest,
a distrust of the faithfulness and grace of the blessed Re-
deemer. Do not, so far as in you lies, oppose all the pur-
poses of his love to you. 0 distressed soul ! whom dost

108 APPLYING TO CHRIST FOR MERCY. [Ch. 12.

thou dread t To whom dost thou tremble to approach ?
Is there any thing so terrible in a crucified Redeemer, in
the Lamb that was slain ? If thou carriest thy soul, almost
sinking under the burden of its guilt, to lay it down at his
feet, what dost thou offer him, but the spoil which he bled
and died to recover and possess ? And did he purchase it
so dearly, that he might reject it with disdain ? Go to him
directly, and fall down in his presence, and plead that
misery of thine, which thou hast now been pleading in a
contrary view, as an engagement to your own soul to make
the application, and as an argument with the compassion-
ate Saviour to receive you. Go, and be assured, that
" where sin hatli abounded, there grace shall much more
abound." Rom. v. 20. Be assured, that, if one sinner can
promise himself a more certain welcome than another, it
is not he that is least guilty and miserable, but he that is
most deeply humbled before God under a sense of that
misery and guilt, and lies the lowest in the apprehension
of it.

Reflections on these Encouragements, ending in an humble and
earnest Application to Christ for Mercy.

" 0 my soul ! what sayest thou to these things ? Is there
not at least a possibility of help from Christ ? And is there
a possibility of help any other way ? Is any other name
given under heaven, whereby we can be saved ? I know
there is none. Acts, iv. 12. I must then say, like the le-
pers of Israel, (2 Kings, vii. 4.) * If I sit here, I perish ;
and if I make my application in vain, I can but die/ But
peradventure he may save my soul alive. I will therefore
arise, and go unto him ; or rather, believing him here, by
his spiritual presence, sinful and miserable as I am, I will
this moment fall dosvn on my face before him, and pour
out my soul unto him.

" Blessed Jesus, I present myself unto thee, as a wretch-
ed creature, driven indeed by necessity to do it. For surely,
were not that necessity urgent and absolute, I shotild not
dare, for very shame, to appear in thine holy and majestic
presence. 1 am fully convinced, that my sins and my fol-
lies have been inexcusably great, more than I can express,
more than I can conceive. I feel a source of sin in my
corrupt and degenerate nature, which pours out iniquity

Ch. 12.] APPLYING TO CHRIST FOR MERCF. 109

as a fountain sends out its water, and makes me a burden
and a terror to myself. Such aggravations have attended
my transgressions, that it looks like presumption so much
as to ask pardon for them. And yet, would it not be greater
presumption to say, that they exceed thy mercy, and the
efficacy of thy blood ; to say, that thou hast power and
grace enough to pardon and save only sinners of a lower
order, while such as I lie out of thy reach ? Preserve me
from that blasphemous imagination ! Preserve me from that
unreasonable suspicion ! Lord, thou canst do all things,
neither is there any thought of mine heart withholden
from thee. Job, xlii. 2. Thou art, indeed, as thy word de-
clares, able to save unto the uttermost. Heb. vii. 25. And
therefore, breaking through all the oppositions of shame
and fear that would keep me from thee, I come and lie
dovv^n as in the dust before thee. Thou knowest, 0 Lord !
all my sins, and all my follies. Psalm Ixix. 5. I cannot, and,
I hope I may say, I would not disguise them before thee,
or set myself to find out plausible excuses. Accuse me,
Lord, as thou pleasest ; and I will ingenuously plead guilty
to all thine accusations. I will own myself as great a sin-
ner as thou callest me ; but I am still a sinner that comes
unto thee for pardon. If I must die, it shall be submitting,
and owning the justice of the fatal stroke. If I perish, it
shall be laying hold, as it were, on the horns of the altar :
laying myself down at thy foot-stool, though I have been
such a rebel against thy throne. Many have received a full
pardon there; have met with favour even beyond their
hopes. And are all thy compassions, 0 blessed Jesus !
exhausted ? And wilt thou now begin to reject an humble
creature, who flies to thee for life, and pleads nothing but
mercy and free grace ? Have mercy upon me, 0 most
gracious Redeemer ! have mercy upon me, and let my life
be precious in thy sight ! 2 Kings, i. 14. 0 do not resolve
to send me down to that state of final misery and despair,
from which it was thy gracious purpose to deliver and save
so many !

" Spurn me not away, 0 Lord ! from thy presence, nor
be offended when I presume to lay hold on thy royal robe,
and say that I cannot and will not let thee go till my suit
is granted ! Gen. xxxii. 26. Oh ! remember that my eter-
nity is at stake ! Remember, 0 Lord, that all my hopes of

110 DOUBTING SOUL ASSISTED. [Ch. 13.

obtaining eternal happiness, and avoiding everlasting, help-
less, hopeless destruction, are anchored upon thee ; they
hang upon thy smiles, or drop at thy frown. 0 have mercy
upon me, for the sake of this immortal soul of mine ! Or if
not for the sake of mine alone, for the sake of many others,
who may, on the one hand, be encouraged by thy mercy
to me, or, on the other, may be greatly wounded and dis-
couraged by my helpless despair ! I beseech thee, 0 Lord,
for thine own sake, and for the display of thy Father's rich
and sovereign grace ! I beseech thee by the blood thou
didst shed on the cross ! I beseech thee by the covenant
of grace and peace, into which the Father did enter with
thee for the salvation of believing and repenting sinners .
save me, save me, 0 Lord, who earnestly desire to repent
and believe ! I am indeed a sinner, in whose final and
everlasting destruction thy justice might be greatly glori-
fied ; but oh ! if thou wdlt pardon me, it will be a monu-
ment raised to the honour of thy grace, and the efficacy of
thy blood, in proportion to the degree in which the wretch,
to whom thy mercy is extended, was mean and miserable
without it. Speak, Lord, by thy blessed Spirit, and banish
my fears ! Look unto me with love and grace in thy coun-
tenance, and say to me, as in the days of thy flesh thou
didst to many an humble supplicant, ' Thy sins are for-
given thee, go in peace.' "

CHAPTER XIIL

THE DOUBTING SOUL MORE PARTICULARLY ASSISTED IN ITS INQUIRIES
AS TO THE SINCERITY OF ITS FAITH AND REPENTANCE.

1. Transient impressions liable to be mistaken for conversion, which
would be a fatal error. — 2. General scheme for self-examination.
— 3. Particular inquiries — what views there have been of sin 7 —
4. What vieics there have been of Christ ? — 5. ^s to the need the
soul has of him ; — 6. And its willingness to receive him with a due
surrender of heart to his service. — 7. JVothing short of this suffi-
cient. The soul submitting to Divine examination the sincerity of
its faith and repentance.

1. In consequence of all the serious things which hare
been said in the former chapters, I hope it will be no false
presumption to imagine, that some religious impressions

Ch. 13.] DOUBTING SOUL ASSISTED. Ill

may be made on hearts which had never felt them before ;
or may be revived where they have formerly grown cold
and languid. Yet I am very sensible, and I desire that
you may be so, how great danger there is of self-flattery
on this important head, and how necessary it is to caution
men against too hasty a conclusion that they are really
converted, because they have felt some warm emotions on'
their minds, and have reformed the gross irregnlarities of
their former conduct. A mistake here may be infinitely
fatal : it may prove the occasion of that false peace which
shall lead a man to bless himself in his own heart, and to
conclude himself secure, while " all the threatenings and
curses of God's law" are sounding in his ears, and lie
indeed directly against him : (Deut. xix. 19, 20.) while in
the mean time he applies to himself a thousand promises
in which he has no share ; which may prove therefore like
generous wines to a man in a high fever, or strong opiates
to one in a lethargy. " The stony ground bearcats received
the word with joy," and a promising harvest seemed to
be springing up ; yet " it soon withered away," (Matt.
xiii. 5, 6.) and no reaper filled his arms with it. Now,
that this may not be the case with you, that all my labours
and yours hitherto may not be lost, and that a vain dream
of security and happiness may not plunge you deeper in
misery and ruin, give me leave to lead you into a serious
inquiry into your own heart, that so you may be better
able to judge of your case, and to distinguish between
what is at most being only near the kingdom of heaven,
and becoming indeed a member of it.

2. Now this depends upon the sincerity of your faith in
Christ, when faith is taken in the largest extent, as explain-
ed above : that is, as comprehending repentance, and that
steady purpose of new and universal obedience, of which,
wherever it is real, faith will assuredly be the vital princi-
ple. Therefore, to assist you in judging of your state, give
me leave to ask you, or rather to entpeat you to ask your-
self, what views you have had, and now have, of sin and
of Christ ? And what your future purposes are with regard
to your conduct in the remainder of life that may lie be-
fore you ? I shall not reason largely upon the several par-
ticulars I suggest under these heads, but rather refer you
to your own reading and observation, to judge how agree-

112 DOUBTING SOUL ASSISTED. [Ch. 13

able they are to the word of God, the great rule by which
our characters must quickly be tried, and our- eternal state
unalterably determined.

3. Inquire seriously, in the first place, " what views
you have had of sin, and what sentiments you have felt in
your soul with regard to it?" There was a time when it
wore aflattering aspect, and made a fair, enchanting appear-
ance, so that all your heart was charmed with it, and it
was the very business of your life to practise it. But you
have since been undeceived. You have felt it " bite like
a serpent, and sting like an adder." Prov. xxiii. 32. You
have beheld it with an abhorrence far greater than the de-
light which it ever gave you. So far it is v/ell. It is thus
W'ith every true penitent, and with some, I fear, who are
not of that number. Let me therefore inquire farther,
whence arose this abhorrence ? Was it merely from a prin-
ciple of self-love ? Was it merely because you had been
wounded by it ? Was it merely because you had thereby
brought condemnation and ruin upon your own soul ? Was
there no sense of its deformity, of its baseness, of its ma-
lignity, as committed against the blessed God, considered
as a glorious, a bountiful, and a merciful Being ? Were
you never pierced by the apprehension of its vile ingrati-
tude ? And as for those purposes which have arisen in your
heart against it, let me beseech you to reflect how they
have been formed, and how they have hitherto been exe-
cuted. Have they been universal ? Have they been reso-
lute ? And yet, amidst all that resolution, have they been
humble ? When you have declared war with sin, was it
with every sin ? And is it an irreconcilable war, which you
determine, by divine grace, to push on till you have entirely
conquered it, or die in the attempt? And are you accordingly
active in your endeavours to subdue and destroy it ? If so,
what are " the fruits worthy of repentance which you
bring forth ?" Luke, iii. S. it does not, I hope, all flow
away in floods of giief. Have you " ceased to do evil ?"
Are you " learning to do well?" Isai. i. 16, 17. Doth your
reformation show that you repent of your sins ? or do your
renewed relapses into sin prove that you repent even of
what you call your repentance ? Have you an inward ab-
horrence of all sin, and an unfeigned zeal against it ? And
doth that produce a care to guard against the occasions of

Ch. 13.] DOUBTING SOUL ASSISTED. 113

it, and temptations to it ? Do you watch against the cir-
cumstances that have ensnared your And do you particu-
larly double your guard against " that sin which does most
easily beset you ?" Heb. xii. 1. Is that laid aside, that the
Christian race may be run : laid aside with firm determi-
nation that you will return to it no more, that you hold no
more parley with it, that you will never take another step
toward it ?

4. Permit me also farther to inquire, " what your views
of Christ have been? What think you of him, and your
concern with him?" Have you been fully convinced that
there must be a correspondence settled between him and
your soul ? And do you see and feel, that you are not only
to pay him a kind of distant homage, and transient com-
pliment, as a very wise, benevolent, and excellent person,
for whose name and memory you have a reverence ; but
that, as he lives and reigns, as he is ever near you, and
always observing you, so you must look to him, must ap-
proach him, must humbly transact business with him, and
that business of the highest importance, on which your sal-
vation depends ?

5. You have been brought to inquire, " Wherewith shall
I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the most
high God ?" Mic. vi. 6. And once perhaps jou were
thinking of sacrifices, which your own stores might have
been sufficient to furnish out. Are you now convinced
they will not suffice ; and that you must have recourse to
the Lamb which God has provided ? Have you had a
view of "Jesus as taking away the sin of the world?"
(John, i. 29.) " as made a sin-offering for us, though he
knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him ?" 2 Cor. v. 21. Have you viewed him as per-
fectly righteous in himself; and, despairing of being justi-
fied by any righteousness of your own, have you " sub-
mitted to the righteousness of God ?" Rom. x. 3. Has
your heart ever been brought to a deep conviction of this
important truth, that if ever you are saved at all, it must
be through Christ ; that if ever God extends mercy to you
at all, it must be for his sake ; that if ever you are fixed in the
temple of God above, you must stand there as an everlast-
ing trophy of that victory which Christ has gained over
the powers of hell, w ho would otherwise have triumphed
over you '

114 DOUBTING SOUL ASSISTED. [Ch. 13.

6. Our Lord says, "Look unto me, and be ye saved."
Isai. xlv. 22. He says, " If I be lifted up, I will draw all
men unto me." John, xii. 32. Have you looked to him as
the only Saviour ? Have you been drawn unto him by that
sacred magnet, the attracting influence of his dying love ?
Do you know what it is to come to Christ, as a poor
" weary and heavy-laden sinner, that you may find rest ?"
Matt. xi. 28. Do you know what it is, in a spiritual sense,
" to eat the flesh, and drink the blood, of the Son of man ;"
(John, vi. 53.) that is, to look upon Christ crucified as the
great support of your soul, and to feel a desire after him,
earnest as the appetite of nature after its necessary food ?
Have you known what it is cordially to surrender yourself
to Christ, as a poor creature whom love has made his pro-
perty .? Have you committed yourimmortal soul to him, that
he may purify and save it ; that he may govern it by the dic-
tates of his word and the influences of his Spirit ; that he
may use it for his glory; that he may appoint it to what
exercises and discipline he pleases, while it dwells here in
flesh ; and that he may receive it at death, and fix it among
those spirits, ^vho with perpetual songs of praise surround
his throne, and are his servants for ever ? Have you hear-
tily consented to this ? And do you, on this account of the
matter, renew your consent .'' Do you renew it deliberate-
ly and determinately, and feel your whole soul, as it were,
saying Amen, while you read this ? If this be the case,
then I can, with great pleasure, give you, as it were, the
right hand of fellowship, and salute and embrace you as a
sincere disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ; as one who is
delivered from the powers of darkness, and is " translated
into the kingdom of the Son of God." Col. i. 13. I can
then salute you in the Lord, as one to whom, as a minis-
ter of Jesus, I am commissioned and charged to speak
comfortably, and tell you, not that I absolve you from your
sins, for it is a small matter to be judged of man's judg-
ment, but that the blessed God himself absolveth you :
that you are one to whom he hath said in his Gospel, and
is continually saying, " Your sins are forgiven you ;"
(Luke, vli. 48.) therefore go in peace, and take the com-
fort of it.

7. But if you are a stranger to these experiences, and to
this temper which I have now described, the great work

Ch. 13.] DOUBTING SOUL ASSISTED. 115

is yet undone : you are an impenitent and unbelieving sin-
ner, and " the wrath of God abideth on you." John, iii.
36. However you may have been awakened and alarmed,
whatever resolutions you may have formed for amending
your life, how right soever your notions may be, how
pure soever your forms of worship, how ardent soever your
zeal, how severe soever your mortification, how humane
soever your temper, how inoffensive soever your life may
be, I can speak no comfort to you. Vain are all your reli-
gious hopes, if there has not been a cordial humiliation be-
fore the presence of God for all your sins ; if there has
not been this avowed war declared against every thing dis-
pleasing to God ; if there has not been this sense of your
need of Christ, and of your ruin without him ; if there has
not been this earnest application to him ; this surrender of
your soul into his hands by faith ; this renunciation of
yourself, .that you might fix on him the anchor of your
hope: if there has not been this unreserved dedica-
tion of yourself, to be at all times, and in all respects, the
faithful servant of God through him ; and if you do not
with all this ackno^rledge, that you are an unprofitable
servant, who have no other expectations of acceptance or
of pardon, but only through his righteousness and blood,
and through the riches of divine grace in him ; I repeat it
to you again, that all your hopes are vain, and you are
" building on the sand." Matt. vii. 26. The house you
have already raised must be thrown down to the ground,
and the foundation be removed and laid anew, or you, and
all your hopes, will shortly be swept away with it, and
buried under it in everlasting ruin.

The Soul submitting to Divine Examination the Sincerity
of its Repentance and Faith.

" O Lord God ! thou searchest all hearts, and triest the
reins of the children of men ! Jer. xvii. 10. Search me, O
Lord, and know my heart ; try me, and know my thoughts ;
and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me
in the way everlasting. Psalm cxxxix. 23, 24. Doth not
conscience, O Lord ! testify in thy presence, that my re-
pentance and faith are such as have been described, or at
least that it is my earnest prayer that they may be so ?

116 REPENTANCE AND FAITH. [Ch. 13.

Come, therefore, 0 thou blessed Spirit ! who art the
author of all grace and consolation, and work this temper
more fully in my soul. 0 represent sin to mine eyes in all
its most odious colours, that I may feel a mortal and irrecon-
cilable hatred to it ! 0 represent the majesty and mercy of
the blessed God in such a manner, that my heart may be
alarmed, and that it may be melted ! Smite the rock, that
the waters may flow : (Psalm Ixxviii. 20.) waters of ge-
nuine, undissembled, and filial repentance ! Convince me,

0 thou blessed Spirit! of sin, of righteousness, and of
judgment ! John, xvi. 8. Show me that I have undone my-
self; but that my help is found in God alone, (Hos. xiii. 9.)
in God through Christ, in whom alone he will extend
compassion and help to me ! According to thy peculiar
office, take of Christ and show it unto me. John, xvi. 15.
Show me his power to save I Show me his willingness to
exert that power ! Teach my faith to behold him as ex-
tended on the cross, with open arms, with a pierced, bleed-
ing side; and so telling me, in the most forcible lan-
guage, w^hat room there is in his very heart for me ! May

1 know what it is to have my whole heart subdued by love ;
so subdued as to be crucified with him ; (Rom. vi. 6.) to
be dead to sin and dead lo the world, but alive unto God
through Jesus Christ. Rom. vi. 11. In his power and love
may I confide ! To him may I without any reserve com-
mit my spirit ! His image may 1 bear ! His laws may I
observe ! His service may I pursue ! and may I remain,
through time and eternity, a monument of the efficacy of
his Gospel, and a trophy of his victorious grace !

" 0 blessed God ! if there be any thing wanting to-
ward constituting me a sincere Christian, discover it to
me, and work it in me! Beat down, I beseech thee, every
false and presumptuous hope, how costly soever that build-
ing may have been which is thus laid in ruins, and how
proud soever I may have been of its vain ornaments! Let
me know the worst of my case, be that knowledge ever
so distressing ; and if there be remaining danger, O let my
heart be fully sensible of it, sensible while yet there is a
remedy !

" If there be any secret sin yet lurking in my soul, which
I have not sincerely renounced, discover it to me, and rend
it out of my heart, though it may have shot its roots ever

Ch. 14.] THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. 117

SO deep, and have wrapped them all around it, so that
every nerve shall be pained by the separation ! Tear it
away, 0 Lord, by a hand graciously severe ! And by de-
grees, yea, Lord, by speedy advances, go on, I beseech
thee, to perfect what is still lacking in my faith. 1 Thess.
iii. 10. Accomplish in me all the good pleasure of thy
goodness. 2 Thess. i. 11. Enrich me, 0 heavenly Father,
with all the graces of thy Spirit : form me to the complete
image of thy dear Son ; and then, for his sake, come unto
me, and manifest thy gracious presence in my soul, (John,
xiv. 21, 23.) till it is ripened for that state of glory for
which all these operations are intended to prepare it. —
Amen."

CHAPTER XIV.

A MORE PARTICULAR VIEW OF THE SEVERAL BRANCHES OF THE
CHRISTIAN TEMPER, BY WHICH THE READER MAY BE FARTHER
ASSISTED IN JUDGING WHAT HE IS, AND WHAT HE SHOULD ENDEA-
VOUR TO BE.

1, 2. The importance of the case engages to a more particular survey
what manner of spirit ive are of. — 3. Accordingly the Christian temper
is described, by some general views of it, as a new and divine temper.
— 4. As resembling that of Christ. — 5. And as engaging us to be sjnri-
iually minded, and to walk by faith. — 6. A plan of the remainder. — 7.
In which the Christian temper is more particularly considered — with
regard to the blessed God: as including fear, affection, and obedience.
— 8, 9. Faith and love to Christ. — 10. Joy in Him. — 11 — 13. And a pro-
per temper towards the Holy Spirit, particularly as a spirit of adoption
and of courage. — 14. With regard to ourselves ; as including prefer-
ence of the soul to the body, humility, purity. — 15. Temperance. — 16.
Contentment. — 17. And Patience. — 18. With regard to our fellow-
creatures; as including Love. — 19. Meekness.— 20. Peaceableness. —
21. Mercy. — 22. Truth. — 23. And candour in judging. — 24. General
qualifications of each branch. — 25. Such as Sincerity. — 26. Constancy.
—27. Tenderness.— 28. Zeal— 29. And Prudence.— ZO. These things
should frequently be recollected. — A review of all in a scriptural
prayer.

1. When I consider the infinite importance of eternity,
I find it exceedingly difficult to satisfy myself in any thing
which I can say to men, v» here their eternal interests are
concerned. I have given you a view, I hope I may truly "
say, a just as well as a faithful view, of a truly Christian

118 THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. [Oh. 14.

temper already. Yet, for your farther assistance, I would
offer it to your consideration in various points of light, that
you may be assisted in judging of what you are, and what
you ought to be. And in this I aim, not only at your con-
viction, if you are yet a stranger to real religion, but at
your farther edification, if, by the grace of God, you are
by this time experimentally acquainted with it. Happy
you will be, happy beyond expression, if, as you go on
from one article to another, you can say, " This is my tem-
per and character." Happy in no inconsiderable degree,
if you can say, " This is what I desire, what I pray for,
and what I pursue, in preference to every opposite view,
though it be not what I have as yet attained."

2. Search, then, and try " what manner of spirit you are
of." Luke, ix. 55. And may he that searcheth all hearts
direct the inquiry, and enable you " so to judge yourself,
that you may not be condemned of the Lord." 1 Cor, xi.
31, 32.

3. Know in the general, " that, if you are a Christian in-
deed, you have been ' renewed in the spirit of your mind,'
(Eph.'iv. 23.) so renewed, as to be regenerated and born
again." It is not enough to have assumed a new name, to
have been brought under some new restraints, or to have
made a partial change in some particulars of your conduct.
The change must be great and universal. Inquire, then,
whether you have entertained new apprehensions of things,
have formed a practical judgment different from what you
formerly did ; whether the ends you propose, the affections
which you feel working in your heart, and the course of
action to which, by those affections, you are directed, be,
on the whole, new or old. Again, " If you are a Christian
indeed, you are ' partaker of a divine nature,' (2 Peter, i.
4.) divine in its original, its tendency, and its resemblance."
Inquire, therefore, whether God hath implanted a princi-
ple in your heart, which tends to him, and which makes
you like him. Search your soul attentively, to see if you
have really the image there of God's moral perfections, of
his holiness and righteousness, his goodness and fidelity;
for " the new man is, after God, created in righteousness
and true holiness," (Eph. iv. 24.) " and is renewed in
knowledge after the image of him that created him." CoK
iii. 10.

Ch. 14.] THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. 119

4. For your farther assistance, inquire, " whether * the
same mind be in you which was also in Christ.' Phil. ii. 5.
Whether you bear the image of God's incarnate Son, the
brightest and fairest resemblance of the Father which hea-
ven or earth has ever beheld." The blessed Jesus design-
ed himself to be a model for all his followers ; and he is
certainly a model most fit for our imitation : an example
in our own nature, and in circumstances adapted to gene-
ral use : an example recommended to us at once by its
spotless perfection, and by the endearing relations in which
he stands to us, as our Master, our Friend, and our Head ;
as the person by whom our everlasting state is to be fixed,
and in resemblance to whom our final happiness is to con-
sist, if ever we are happy at all. Look, then, into the life
and temper of Christ, as described and illustrated in the
Gospel, and search whether you can find any thing like it
in your own. Have you any thing of his devotion, love,
and resignation to God ? Any thing of his humility, meek-
ness, and benevolence to men ? Any thing of his purity
and wisdom, his contempt of the world, his patience, his
fortitude, his zeal ? And indeed all the other branches of
the Christian temper, which do not imply previous guilt
in the person by whom they are exercised, may be called
in to illustrate and assist your inquiries under this head.

5. Let me add, " If you are a Christian, you are in the
main 'spiritually-minded,' as knowing 'that is life and
peace ;' whereas, ' to be carnally-minded is death.' " Rom.
viii. 6. Though you " live in the flesh, you will not war
after it," (2 Cor. x. 3.) you will not take your orders and
your commands from it. You will indeed attend to its
necessary interests as matter of duty ; but it will still be
with regard to another and a nobler interest, that of the
rational and immortal spirit. Your thoughts, your affec-
tions, your pursuits, your choice, will be determined by a
regard to things spiritual rather than carnal. In a word,
"you will walk by faith, and not by sight." 2 Cor. v. 7.
Future, invisible, and in some degree incomprehensible
objects, will take up your mind. Your faith will act on
the being of God, his perfections, his providences, his pre-
cepts, his threatenings, and his promises. It will act upon
Christ, "whom having not seen," you will "love and
honour." 1 Pet. i. 8. It will act on that unseen worlds

120 THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. [Ch. 14.

which it knows to be eternal, and therefore infinitely more
worthy of your affectionate regard, than any of " those
things which are seen and are temporal." 2 Cor. iv. 18.

6. These are general views of the Christian temper on
which I would entreat you to examine yourself; and now
I would go on to lead you into a survey of the grand
branches of it, as relating to God, our neighbour, and our-
selves ; and of those qualifications which must attend each
of these branches : such as sincerity, constancy, tender-
ness, zeal, and prudence. And I beg your diligent atten-
tion, while I lay before you a few hints with regard to each,
by which you may judge the better, both of your state and
your duty.

7. Examine, then, I entreat you, " the temper of your
heart with regard to the blessed God." Do you find there
a reverential fear, and a supreme love and veneration for
his incomparable excellencies, a desire after him as the
highest good, and a cordial gratitude towards him as your
supreme Benefactor ? Can you trust his care ? Can you
credit his testimony ? Do you desire to pay an unreserved
obedience to all that he commands, and an humble sub-
mission to all the disposals of his providence ? Do you
design his glory as your noblest end, and make it the
great business of your life to approve yourself to him ? Is
it your governing care to imitate him, and to " serve him
in spirit and in truth ?" John, iv. 24.

8. Faith in Christ I have already described at large, and
therefore shall say nothing farther, either of that persua-
sion of his power and grace, which is the great founda-
tion of it, or of that acceptance of Christ under all his
characters, or that surrender of the soul into his hands, in
which its peculiar and distinguishing nature consists.

9. If this faith in Christ be sincere, " it will undoubt-
edly produce a love to him :" which will express itself in
affectionate thoughts of him ; in strict fidelity to him ; in a
careful observation of his charge ; in a regard to his spirit,
to his friends, and to his interests ; in a reverence to the
memorials of his dying love which he has instituted ; and
in an ardent desire after that heavenly world where he
dwells, and where he will at length "have all his people
to dwell with him." John, xvii. 2.

10. I may add, agreeably to the word of God, " that

Ch. 14.] THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. 121

thus believing in Christ and loving him, you will also re-
joice in him :" in his glorious design, and in his complete
fitness to accomplish it ; in the promises of his word, and
in the privileges of his people. It will be matter of joy
to you, that such a Redeemer has appeared in this world
of ours ; and your joy for yourself will be proportionable
to the degree of clearness with which you discern your
interest in him, and relation to him.

11. Let me farther lead you into some reflections on
" the temper of your heart towards the blessed Spirit."
If "we have not the Spirit of Christ, we are none of his."
Rom. viii. 19. If we are not "led by the Spirit of God,
we are not the children of God." Rom. viii. 14. You
will then, if you are a real Christian, desire that you may
"be filled with the Spirit;" (Eph. v. 18.) that you may
have every power of your soul subject to his authority ;
that his agency on your heart maybe more constant, more
operative, and more delightful. And to cherish these sa-
cred influences, you will often have recourse to serious
consideration and meditation : you will abstain from those
sins which tend to grieve him ; you will improve the ten-
der seasons, in which he seems to breathe upon your soul ;
you will strive earnestly with God in prayer, that you
may have him " shed on you still more abundantly through
Jesus Christ;" (Tit. iii. 6.) and you will be desirous to
fall in with the great end of his mission, which was to
" gloiify Christ," (John, xvi. 14.) and to establish his
kingdom. " You will desire his influences as the Spirit of
adoption," to render your acts of worship free and affec-
tionate, your obedience vigorous, your sorrow for sin over-
flowing and tender, your resignation meek, and your love
ardent : in a word, to carry you through life and death
with the temper of a child who delights in his father, and
who longs for his more immediate presence.

12. Once more, " if you are a Christian indeed, you will
be desirous to obtain the spirit of courage." Amidst all
that humility of soul to which you will be formed, you
will wish to commence a hero in the cause of Christ, op-
posing, with a vigorous resolution, the strongest efl'orts of
the powers of darkness, the inward corruptions of your
own heart, and all the outward difficulties you may meet
with in the way of your duty, while in the cause and in

6

122 THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. [Ch. 14.

the strength of Christ you go oPx " conquering and to con-
quer."

13. All these things may be considered as branches of
godliness; of that godliness \vhich is " profitable unto all
things," and hath the "promise of the life which now is,
and of that which is to come." 1 Tim. iv. S.

14. Let me now farther lay before you some branches
of the Christian temper " which relate more immediately
to ourselves." And here, if you are a Christian indeed,
you will undoubtedly prefer the soul to the body, and
things eternal to those that are temporal. Conscious of the
dignity and value of your immortal part, you v.ill come to
a firm resolution to secure its happiness, whatever is to be
resigned, whatever is to be endured in that view. If you are
a real Christian, you will be also "clothed v.ilh humility."
1 Pet. V. 5. You will have a deep sense of your own im-
perfections, both natural and moral; of the short extent
of your knowledge ; of the uncertainty and weakness of
vour resolutions; and of your continual dependence upon
God, and upon almost every thing about you. And espe-
cially v/ill you be deeply sensible of your guilt; the
remembrance of which v.ill fill you with shame and con-
fusion, even when you have some reason to hope it is
forgiven. This will forbid all haughtiness and insolence of
your behaviour to your fellow-creatures. It v/ill teach you,
under afflictive providences, with all holy submission, to
bear the indignation of the Lord, as those that know they
"have sinned against him." Mic. vii. 9. Again, if you
are a Christian indeed, " you will labour after purity of
soul," and maintain a fixed abhorrence of all prohibited
sensual indulgence. A recollection of past impurities will
tiil you with shame and grief, and you will endeavour for
the future to guard your thoughts and desires, as well as
your words and actions, and to abstain, not only from the
commission of evil, but " from the" distant " appearance"
and probable occasions "of it;" (1 Thess. v. 22.) as con-
scious of the perfect holiness of that God with whom you
converse, and of the " purifying nature of that hope,"
(1 John, iii. 3.) which by his Gospel he hath taught you
to entertain.

15. With this is nearly allied, " that amiable virtue of
temperance," which will teach you to guard against eucli

Ch. 14.] THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. 123

a use of meats and drinks as indisposes the body for the
service of the soul ; or such an indulgence in either, as
will rob you of that precious jewel your time, or occasion
an expense beyond what your circumstances will admit,
and beyond what will consist with v»'hat you owe to the
cause of Christ, and those liberalities to the poor, which
your relation and theirs to God and each other will re-
quire. In short, you will guard against whatever has a
tendency to increase a sensual disposition, against what-
ever would alienate the soul from communion with God,
and would diminish its zeal and activity in his service.

16. The divine philosophy of the blessed Jesus will also
teach you " a contented temper." It will moderate your
desires of those worldly enjoyments, after which many feel
such an insatiable thirst, ever growing with indulgence
and success. You will gua^d against an immoderate care
about those things which would lead you into a forgetful-
ness of your heavenly inheritance. If Providence disap-
point your undertakings, yon will submit ; if others be
more prosperous, you will not envy them., but rather will
be thankful for what God is pleased to bestow upon them,
as well as for what he gives you. No unlawful methods
will be used to alter your present condition ; and what-
ever it is, you will endeavour to make the best of it, re-
membering it is what infinite wisdom and goodness have
appointed you, and that it is beyond all comparison better
than you have deserved ; yea, that the very deficiencies
and inconveniencies of it may conduce to the improvement
of your future and complete happiness.

17. With contentment, if you are a disciple of Christ,
*' you will join patience too," and " in patience will pos-
sess your soul." Luke, xxi. 19. You cannot indeed, be
quite insensible either of afflictions or injuries; but your
mind will be calm and composed under them, and steady
in the prosecution of proper duty, though afflictions press,
and though your hopes, your dearest hopes, and prospects
be delayed. Patience will prevent hasty and rash conclu-
sions, and fortify you against seeking irregular methods of
relief; disposing you, in the mean time, till God shall be
pleased to appear for you, to go on steadily in the way of
your duty; " committing yourself to him in well-doing."
1 Pet. iv. 19. You will also be careful that ^* patience maj

124 THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. [Cll. 1-1.

have its perfect work," (James, i. 4.) and prevail in pro-
portion to those circumstances which demand its peculiar
exercise. For instance, when the successions of evil are
long and various, so that " deep calls to deep," and " all
God's waves and billows seem to be going over you," one
after another; (Psalm xlii. 7.) when God touches you in
the most tender part; when the reasons of his conduct to
you are quite unaccountable; when your natural spirits
are weak and decayed ; when unlawful methods of re-
dress seem near and easy; still your reverence for the
will of your heavenly Father will carry it against all, and
keep you waiting quietly for deliverance in his own time
and way.

18. I have thus led you into a brief review of the Chris-
tian temper, with respect to God and ourselves : permit
me now to add, " that the Gospel will teach you another
set of very important lessons with respect to your fellow-
creatures." They all are summed up in this, '' Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself;" (Ptom. xiii. 9.) and "what-
soever thou wouldst, (that is, whatsoever thou cculdst, in
an exchange of circumstances, fairly and reasonably de-
sire,) that others should do unto thee, do thou likewise
the same unto them." Matt. vii. 12. The religion of the
blessed Jesus, when it triumphs in your soul, will conquer
the predominancy of an irregular self-love, and will teach
you candidly and tenderly to look upon your neighbour as
another self. As you are sensible of your own rights, you
will be sensible of his : as you support your own character,
you will support his. You will desire his welfare, and be
ready to relieve his necessity, as you would have your own
consulted by another. You will put the kindest construc-
tion upon his most dubious words and actions. You will
take pleasure in his happiness; you will feel his distress,
in some measure, as your own. And most happy will you
be, when this obvious rule is familiar to your mind, when
this golden law is written upon your heart, and when it is
habitually and impartially consulted by you, upon every
occasion, whether great or small.

19. The Gospel will also teach you " to put on meek-
ness," (Col. iii. 12.) not only with respect to God, submit-
ting to the authority of his word, and the disposal of his

Ch. 14.] THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. 125

providence, as was urged before ; but also with regard to
your brethren of mankind. Its gentle instructions will form
you to calmness of temper under injuries and provocations,
so that you may not be angry without, or beyond just cause.
It will engage you to guard your words, lest you provoke
and exasperate those you should rather study by love to
gain, and by tenderness to heal. Meekness will render you
slow in using any rough and violent methods, if they can
by any means be lav.fully avoided; and ready to admit,
and even to propose a reconciliation, after they have been
entered into, if there may yet be hope of succeeding. So
far as this branch of the Christian temper prevails in your
heart, you will take care to avoid every thing which might
give unnecessary offence to others; you will behave your-
self in a modest manner, according to your station ; and it
will work, both with regard to superiors and inferiors,
teaching you duly to honour the one, and not to overbear
or oppress, to grieve or insult the other. And in religion
itself, it will restrain all immoderate sallies and harsh cen-
sure ; and will command down " that wrath of man, which,
instead of working, so often opposes the righteousness of
God," (James, i. 20.) and shames and wounds that good
cause, in which it is boisterously and furiously engaged.

20. With this is naturally connected " a peaceful dispo-
sition." If you are a Christian indeed, you will have such
a value and esteem for peace, as to endeavour to obtain,
and to preserve it, " as much as lieth in you," (Rom. xii.
18.) as much as you iairly and honourably can. This will
have such an influence upon your conduct, as to make you
not only cautious of giving offence, and slow in taking it,
but earnestly desirous to regain peace as soon as may be,
when it is in any measure broken, that the wound may be
healed while it is green, and before it begins to rankle and
fester. And more especially, this disposition will engage
you " to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,"
(Eph. iv. 3.) " with all that in every place call on the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ," (1 Cor. i. 2.) whom if
you truly love, you will also love all those whom you have
reason to believe to be his disciples and servants.

21. If you be yourselves indeed of that number, " you
will also 'put on bowels of mercy.'" Col. iii. 12. The
mercies of God, and those of the blessed Redeemer, will

126 THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. [Ch. 14.

work on your heart, to mould it to sentiments of compas-
sion arid generosity, so that you will feel the wants and
sorrows of others ; you will desire to relieve their neces-
sities ; and as you have an opportunity, you will do good,
both to their bodies and their souls ; expressing your kind
aftections in suitable actions, which may both evidence
their sincerity and render them effectual.

22. As a Christian, " you will also maintain truth in-
violable," not only in your solemn testimonies, when con-
firmed by an oath, but likewise in common conversation.
You will remember, too, that your promises bring an obli-
gation upon you, which you are by no means at liberty to
break through. On the whole, you will be careful to keep
a strict correspondence between your words and your ac-
tions, in such a manner as becomes a servant of the God
of truth.

23. Once more, as, amidst the strictest care to observe
ail the divine precepts, you will still find many imperfec-
tions, on account of which you will be obliged to pray,
that " God would not enter into strict judgment with you,"
as well knowing " that in his sight you cannot be justi-
fied," (Psalm cxliii. 2.) you will be careful not to judge
others " in such a manner as should awaken the severity
of ' his judgment against yourself.' " Matt. vii. 1, 2. Fou
will not, therefore, judge them impertinently, w^hen you
have nothing to do with their actions ; nor rashly, with-
out inquiring into circumstances; nor partially, without
weighing them attentively and fairly; nor uncharitably,
putting the w-orst construction upon things in their own
nature dubious ; deciding upon intentions as evil, farther
than they certainly appear to be so ; pronouncing on the
state of men, or on the whole of their character, from any
particular action, and involving the innocent with the
guilty. There is a moderation contrary to all these ex-
tremes, which tliQ Gospel recommends ; and if you re-
ceive the Gospel in good earnest into your heart, it will
lay the axe to the root of such evils as these.

24. Having thus briefly illustrated the principal branches
of the Christian temper and character, I shall conclude the
representation, with reminding you of " some general qua-
lifications, which must be mingled with all, and give a
tincture to each of them ; such as sincerity, constancy,
tenderness, zeal, and prudence."

Ch. 14.] THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. 127

25. Always remember, that " sincerity is the very soul
Gf true religion." A single intention to please God, and to
approve ourselves to him, must animate and govern all
that we do in it. Under the iniluence of this principle you
will impartially inquire into every intimation of duty, and
apply to the practice of it so far as it is known to you.
Your heart will be engaged in all you do. Your conduct,
in private and in secret, will be agreeable to your most
public behaviour. A sense of the Divine authority will
teach you " to esteem all God's precepts concerning ail
things to be right, and to hate every false way." Psalm
cxix. 128. " . "

26. Thus are you, " in simplicity and godly sincerity, to
have your conversation in the v>orld." 2 Cor. i. 12. And
" you are also to charge it upon your soul ' to be steadfast
and imm.ovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord.' " 1 Cor. xv. 58. There must not only be some
sudden fits and starts of devotion, or of something which
looks like it, but religion must be an habitual and perma-
nent thing. There must be a purpose to adhere to it at all
times. It must be made the stated and ordinary business
of life. Deliberate and presumptuous sins must be care-
fully avoided ; a guard must be maintained against the
common infirmities of life; and falls of one kind or of
another must be matter of proportionable humiliation be-
fore God, and must occasion renewed resolution for his
service. And thus you are to go on to the end of your life,
not discouraged by the length and difficulty of the way,
nor allured on the one hand, or terrified on the other, by
all the various temptations which may surround and as-
sault you. Your soul must be fixed on this basis, and you
are still to behave yourself as one who knows he serves an
unchangeable God, and w^ho expects from him " a king-
dom which cannot be moved." Heb. xii. 28.

27, Again, so far as the Gospel prevails in your heart,
*' your spirit will be tender, and the stone will be trans-
formed into flesh." You will desire that your apprehen-
sions of divine things may be quick, your affections ready
to take proper impressions, your conscience aiv/ays easily
touched, and, on the whole, your resolutions pliant to the
divine authority, and cordially willing to be, and to do,
whatever God shall appoint. You wall have a tender re-

128 THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. [Ch. 14.

gard to the word of God, a tender caution against sin, a
tender guard against the snares of prosperity, a lender sub-
mission to God's afflicting hand : in a word, you will be
tender wherever the divine honour is concerned ; and care-
ful, neither to do any thing yourself, nor to allow any thing
in another, so far as you can influence, by which God
should be offended, or religion reproached.

28. Nay, more than all this, you will, so far as true
Christianity governs in your mind, ^' exert ahoLy zeal in the
service of your Redeemer and your Father." You will be
"zealously affected in every good thing," (Gal. iv. 18.)
in proportion to its apprehended goodness and importance.
You will be zealous, especially, to correct what is irregu-
lar in yourself, and to act to the utmost of your ability for
the cause of God. Nor will you be able to look with an
indifferent eye on the conduct of others in this view ; but,
so far as charity, meekness, and prudence will admit, you
will testify your disapprobation of every thing in it which
is dishonourable to God and injurious to men. And you
will labour, not only to reclaim men from such courses,
but to engage them to religion, and quicken them in it.

29. And once more, you will desire " to use the pru-
dence which God hath given you," in judging what is, in
present circumstances, your duty to God, your neighbour,
and yourself; what will be, on the whole, the most accep-
table manner of discharging it, and how far it may be most
advantageously pursued; as remembering, that he is in-
deed the wisest and the happiest man, who, by constant
attention of thought, discovers the greatest opportunities
of doing good, and with ardent and animated resolution
breaks through every opposition, that he may improve
those opportunities.

30. This is such a view of the Christian temper, as
could conveniently be thrown within such narrow limits ;
and I hope it may assist many in the great and important
work of self-examination. Let your own conscience an-
swer, how far you have already attained it, and how far
you desire it ; and let the principal topics here touched
upon be fixed in your memory and in your heart, that you
may be mentioning them before God in your daily addresses
to the throne of grace, in order to receive from him all ne-
cessary assistance for bringing them into practice.

Ch. 14.] THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. 129

A Prayer, chiefly in Scripture Language, in which the several Bran-
ches of the Christian Temper are more briefly enumerated in the
order laid down above.

" Blessed God, I humbly adore thee, as the great Fa-
ther of lights, and the Giver of every good and every perfect
gift. James, i. 17. From thee, therefore, I seek every
blessing, and especially those which may lead me to thy-
self, and prepare me for the eternal enjoyment of thee.
I adore thee as the God who searches the hearts and
tries the reins of the children of men. Jer. xvii. 10. Search
me, 0 God, and know my heart; try me, and know my
thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and
lead me in the way everlasting. Psal. cxxxix. 23, 24. May
I know what manner of spirit I am of, (Luke, ix. 55.) and
be preserved from mistaking, where the error might be in-
finitely fatal !

" May I, O Lord, be renewed in the spirit of my mind.
Eph. iv. 24. A new heart da thou give me, and a new
spirit do thou put within me. Ezek. xxxiv. 26. Make me
partaker of divine nature ; (2 Pet. i. 4.) and as he who
iialh called me is holy, may I be holy in all manner of con-
versation. 1 Pet. i. 15. May the same mind be in me
which was also in Christ Jesus; (Phil. ii. 5.) may I so
walk even as he walked. 1 John, ii. 6. Deliver me from
being carnally-minded, which is death ; and make me
spiritually-minded, since that is life and peace. Rom. viii.
6. And may I, while I pass through this world of sense,
walk by faith, and not by sight, (2 Cor. v. 7.) and be
strong in faith, giving glory to God. Rom. iv. 20.

"May thy grace, O Lord, which hath appeared unto all
men, and appeared to me with such glorious evidence and
lustre, effectually teach me to deny ungodliness and world-
ly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly. Tit.
ii. 11, 12. Work in my heart that godliness which is pro-
fitable unto all things; (1 Tim. iv. 8.) and teach me, by
the influence of thy blessed Spirit, to love thee, the Lord
my God, with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with
all ray mind, and with all my strength. Mark, xii. 30.
May I yield myself unto thee, as alive from the dead,
(Rom. vi. 13.) and present my body a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable in thy sight, which is ray most rea-
sonable service! Rom. xii. 1.^ May I entertain the most

6* ■

130 THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. [Ch. 14.

faithful and affectionate regard to the blessed Jesus, thine
incarnate Son, the brightness of thy glory, and the express
image of thy person. Heb. i. 3. Though I have not seen
him, may I love him ; and in him, though now I see him
not, yet believing, may I rejoice with joy unspeakable and
full of glory, (1 Pet. i. 8.) and may the life which I live
in the flesh, be daily by the faith of the Son of God. Gal.
ii. 20. May I be filled with the Spirit, (Eph. v. 18.) and
may I be led by it; (Rom. viii. 14.) and so may it be evi-
dent to others, and especially to my own soul, that I am a
child of God, and an heir of glory. May I not receive the
spirit of bondage unto fear, but the spirit of adoption,
whereby I may be enabled to cry, Abba, Father. Rom.
viii. 15. May he work in me, as the spirit of love, and of
power, and of a sound mind, (2 Tim. i. 17.) that so I may
add to my faith virtue. 2 Pet. i. 5. May I be strong, and
very courageous, (Josh. i. 7.) and quit myself like a man,
(1 Cor. xiv. 13.) and like a Christian, in the work to
which I am called, and in that warfare which I had in
view when I listed under the banner of the great Captain
of my salvation.

" Teach me, O Lord, seriously to consider the nature
of my own soul, and to set a suitable value upon it. May
I labour, not only or chiefly, for the meat that perisheth,
but for that which endureth to eternal life. John, vi. 27.
May I humble myself under thy mighty hand, and be
clothed with humility, (1 Pet. v. 5, 6.) decked with the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of
God is of great price. 1 Pet. iii. 4. May I be pure in
heart, that I may see God, (Matt. v. 8.) mortifying ray
members which are on the earth, (Col. iii. 5.) so that if a
right eye offend me, I may pluck it out, and if a right hand
offend me, I may cut it off. Matt. v. 29, 30. May I be
temperate in all things, (1 Cor. ix. 25.) content with such
things as I have, (Heb. xiii. 5.) and instructed to be so in
whatever state I am. Phil. iv. 11. May patience also have
its perfect work in me, that I may be in that respect com-
plete, and wanting nothing. James, i. 4.

" Form me, 0 Lord, I beseech thee, to a proper temper
toward my fellow-creatures! May I love my neighbour as
myself, (Gal. v. 14.) and whatsoever! would that others
jshould do unto me, may I also do {he same unto them.

Ch. 14.] THE CHRISTIAN TEMPER. 131

Matt. vii. 12. May I put on meekness under the greatest
injuries and provocations, (Col. iii. 12.) and, if it be pos-
sible, as much as lieth in me, may I live peaceably with
all men. Rom. xii. 18. May I be merciful, as my Father
in heaven is merciful. Luke, vi. 36. May I speak the trutli
from my heart ; (Psalm xv. 2.) and may I speak it in love,
(Eph. iv. 15.) guarding against every instance of a censo-
rious and malignant disposition- and taking care not to
judge severely, as I would not be judged with the severity
which thou, Lord, knowest, and which mine own con-
science knows, I should not be able to support.

" I entreat thee, O Lord, to work in me all those qua-
lifications of the Christian temper, which may render it
peculiarly acceptable to thee, and may prove ornamental
to my profession in the world. Renew, I beseech thee, a
right spirit within me, (Psalm li. 10.) make me an Israel-
ite indeed, in whom there is no allowed guile. John, i. 47.
And while I feast on Christ, as my passover sacrificed for
me, may I keep the feast with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth. 1 Cor. v. 7, 8. Make me, I beseech
thee, 0 thou Almighty and unchangeable God ! steadfast
and immovable, always abounding in thy work, as know-
ing that my labour in the Lord shall not be finally in vain.
1 Cor. XV. 58. May my heart be tender, (2 Kings, xvii.
19.) easily impressed with thy word and providence, touch-
ed with an affectionate concern for thy glory, and sensible
of every impulse of thy Spirit. May I be zealous for my
God, (Numb. XXV. 13.) \vith a zeal according to know-
ledge and charity, (1 Cor. xiv. 14.) and teach me in thy
service to join the wisdom of the serpent with the bold-
ness of the lion and the innocence of the dove. Matt. x.
16. Thus render me, by thy grace, a shining image of my
dear Redeemer ; and at length bring me to wear the bright
resemblance of his holiness and his glory, in that world
where he dwells; that I may ascribe everlasting honours
to him, and to thee, 0 thou Father of mercies, whose in-
valuable gift he is, and to thine Holy Spirit, through whose
gracious influence, I would humbly hope, I may call thee
my Father, and Jesus my Saviour ! Amen."

132 CHRISTIAN VEMPER SOUGHT. [Ch 15.

CHAPTER XV.

THE REAPER REMINDED HOW MUCH HE NEEDS THE ASSISTANCE OF THK
SPIRIT OF GOD TO FORM HIM TO THE TEMPER DESCRIBED ABOVE, AND
WHAT ENCOURAGEMENT HE HAS TO EXPECT IT.

1. Forward resohitions may prove ineffechial. — 2. Yet religion is
not to he given vp in despair, but Divine grace to be sought. — 3. A
general view of its reality and necessity, from reason.— A. And
Sciipture. — 5. The Spirit to be sought as the Spirit of Christ. — 6.
And in that view the great strength of the soul. — 7. The encourage-
ment there is to hope for the communication of it. — 8. A concluding
exhortation to pray for it. And an humble address to God pursu-
ant to that exhortation.

I HAVE now laid before you a plan of that temper and
character which the Gospel requires, and which, if you
are a true Christian, you will desire and pursue. Surely
there is, in the very description of it, something which
must powerfully strike every mind which has any taste
for what is truly beautiful and excellent. And I question
not, but you, ray dear reader, will feel some impression of
it upon your heart. You will immediately form some live-
ly purpose of endeavouring after it; and perhaps you may
imagine, you shall certainly and quickly attain to it. You
see how reasonable it is, and what desirable consequences
necessarily attend it, and the aspect which it bears
on your present enjoyment and your future happiness ;
and therefore are determined you will act accordingly.
But give me leave seriously to remind you, how many
there have been, (would to God that several such in-
stances had not happened within the compass of my own
personal observation !) whose goodness hath been " like
a morning cloud and the early dew," which soon " pass-
eth away." Hos. vi. 4. There is not room indeed abso-
lutely to apply the words of Joshua, taken in the most
rigorous sense, when he said to Israel, that he might hum-
ble their too hasty and sanguine resolutioTis, "You cannot
serve the Lord." Josh. xxiv. 12. But I will venture to say,
you cannot easily do it. Alas ! you know fiot the difficul-
ties you have to break through ; you know not the tempta-
tions which Satan will throw in your way ; you know not
how importunate your vain and sinful companions will be,
to draw you back into the snare you may attempt to break ;
and, above all. you know not the subtle artifices which

Ch. 15.] CHRISTIAN TEMPER SOUGHT. 133

your own corruptions will practice upon you in order to
recover their dominion over you. You think the views
you now have of things will be lasting, because the prin-
ciples and objects to which they refer are so : but per-
haps to-morrow may undeceive you, or rather deceive you
anew : to-morrow may present some trifle in a new dress,
which shall amuse you into a forgelfulness of all this. Nay,
perhaps before you lie down on your bed, the impre^
sions you now feel may wear off. The corrupt desires of
your own heart, now perhaps a little charmed down, and
lying as if they were dead, may spring up again with new
violence, as if they had slept only to recruit their vigour ;
and if you are not supported by a better strength than
your own, this struggle for liberty will only make your future
chains the heavier, the more shameful, and the more fatal.

2. What then is to be done ? Is the convinced sinner to
lie down in despair? to say, " I am a helpless captive, and
by exerting myself with violence, may break my limbs
sooner than my bonds, and increase the evil I would re-
move." God forbid ! You cannot, I am persuaded, be so
little acquainted with Christianity, as not to know, "that
the doctrine of divine assistance bears a very considerable
part in it." You have often, 1 doubt not, read of " the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, as making us free
from the law of sin and death," (Rom. viii. 2.) and have
been told, '- that through the Spirit we mortify the deeds
of the body." Rom. viii. 13. You have read of "doing
all things through Christ, who strengtheneth us," (Phil.
iv. 15.) whose grace "is sufficient for us," and whose
" strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor. xii. 9.
Permit me, therefore, now to call your attention to this, as a
truth of the clearest evidence, and of the utmost importance.

3. Reason, indeed, as well as the v/hole tenor of Scrip-
ture, agrees with this.* The whole created world has a
necessary dependence on God : from him even the know-
ledge of " natural things" is derived, (Psalm xciv. 10.)
and " skill in them is to be ascribed to him." Exod. xxxi.
3 — 6. Much more loudly does so great and excellent a work,
as the new-forming the human mind, bespeak its divine Au-
thor. When you consider how various the branches of the

* See many of these thoughts much more largely illustrated in my
Vlllth Sermon on Regeneration.

134 CHRISTIAN TEMPER SOUGHT. [Ch. 15.

Christian temper are, and how contrary many of them also
are to that temper, which hath prevailed in your heart, and
governed your life in time past, you must really see divine
influences as necessary to produce and nourish them, as
the influences of the sun and rain are to call up the varie-
ty of plants and flowers, and grain and fruits, by which the
earth is adorned, and our life supported. You will be yet
more sensible of this, if you reflect on the violent opposi-
tion which this happy work must expect to meet with ;
of which I shall presently warn you more largely, and
which if you have not already experienced, it must be be-
cause you have but very lately begun to think of religion.

4. Accordingly, if you give yourself leave to consult
Scripture on this head, (and if you would live like a Chris-
tian, you must be consulting it every day, and forming
your notions and actions by it,) you will see, that the
whole tenor of it teaches that dependence upon God
which I am now recommending. You will particularly see,
that the production of religion in the soul is matter of di-
vine promise ; that when it has been eff'ected. Scripture
ascribes it to a divine agency ; and that the increase of
grace and piety in the heart of those who are truly regene-
rate, is also spoken of as the word of God, who begins and
*' carries it on until the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. i. 6.

5. In consequence of all these views, lay it down to
yourself as a most certain principle, that no attempt in re-
ligion is to be made in your own strength. If you forget
this, and God purposes finally to save you, he will humble
you by repeated disappointments, till he teach you better.
You will be ashamed of one scheme and eff'ort, and of
another, till you settle upon the true basis. He will also
probably show you, not only in the general, that your
strength is to be derived from heaven, but particularly, that
it is the office of the blessed Spirit to purify the heart,
and to invigorate holy resolutions ; and also that, in all
these operations, he is to be considered as the Spirit of
Christ, working under his direction, and as a vital com-
munication from him under the character of the great Head
of the Church, the grand Treasurer and Dispenser of these
holy and beneficial influences. On wlrich account it is
called " the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ," (Phil.
i. 19.) who is "exalted at the right hand" of the Father,

Ch. 15.J CHRISTIAN TEMPER SOUGHT. 135

" to give repentance and remission of sins," (Acts, v. 31.)
*Mn whose grace alone we can be strong," (2 Tim. ii. 1.)
and " of whose fuhiess we receive even grace for grace."
John, i. 16.

6. Resolve, therefore, strenuously, for the service of God,
and for the care of your soul : but " resolve modestly and
humbly." Even " the youths shall faint and be weary, and
the young men utterly fall ; but they who wait on the
Lord," are the persons who " renew their strength." Isai.
xl. 30, 31. When a soul is almost afraid to declare, in the
presence of the Lord, that it will not do this or that, which
has formerly offended him; when it is afraid absolutely to
promise that it will perform this or that duty with vigour
and constancy, but only expresses its humble and earnest
desire, that it may by grace be enabled to avoid the one or
pursue the other ; then, so far as my observation and expe-
rience have reached, it is in the best way to learn the hap-
py art of conquering temptation, and of discharging duty.

7. On the other hand, let not your dependence upon
this Spirit, and your sense of your own weakness and in-
sufficiency for any thing spiritually good without his con-
tinual aid, discourage you from devoting yourself to God,
and engaging in a religious life, considering " what abun-
dant reason you have to hope, that these gracious influ-
ences will be communicated to you." The light of nature,
at the same time that it teaches the need we have of help
from God in a virtuous course, may lead us to conclude,
that so benevolent a Being, who bestows on the most un-
worthy and careless part of mankind so many blessings,
will take a peculiar pleasure in communicating to such as
humbly ask them, those gracious assistances, which may
form their deathless souls into his own resemblance, and
fit them for that happiness to which their rational nature is
suited, and for which it was in its first constitution intend-
ed. The word of God will much more abundantly con-
firm such a hope. You there hear divine wisdom crying
even to those who had long trifled with her instructions,
*' Turn ye at my reproof, and I will pour out my Spirit
upon you." Prov^ i. 23. You hear the apostle saying,
" Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to hold in every time of need."
Heb. iv. 16. Yea, you there hear our Lord himself argu-

136 CHRISTIAN TEMPER SOUGHT. [Ch. 15.

ing in this sweet and convincing manner : ^' If ye, being
evil, know how to give good gifts unto youi children, how
much more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy
Spirit unto them that ask him ?" Luke, xi. 13. This gift
and promise of the Spirit was given unto Christ when he
ascended up on high, in trust for all his true disciples.
God hath " shed it abroad abundantly upon us in him."
Tit. iii. 6. And I may add, that the very desire you feel
after the farther communication of the Spirit, is the result
of the first fruits of it already given ; so that you may, with
peculiar propriety, interpret it as a special call " to open
your mouth wide that he may fill it." Psalm Ixxxi. 10. You
thirst, and therefore you may cheerfully plead, that Jesus
has "invited you to come unto him and drink;" with a
promise, not only that you shall drink if you come unto
him, but also that " out of your belly shall flow," as it
were, "rivers of living water," for the edification and re-
freshment of others. John, vii. 37, 38.

8. Go forth, therefore, with humble cheerfulness, to the
prosecution of all the duties of the Christian life. Go and

Erosper " in the strength of the Lord, making mention of
is righteousness, and of his only." Psalm Ixxi. 16. And
as a token of farther communications, may your heart be
quickened to the most earnest desire after the blessings I
have been now recommending to your pursuit! May you
be stirred up to pour out your soul before God in such
holy breathings as these I and may they be your daily lan-
guage in his gracious presence !

An humble Supplication for the Injiuences of Divine Grace, to
form and strengthen Religion in the Soul.

" Blessed God ! I sincerely acknowledge before thee
my own weakness and insufficiency for any thing that
is spiritually good. I have experienced it a thousand
times ; and yet my foolish heart would again ^ trust itself,'
(Prov. xxviii. 26.) and form resolutions in its own strength.
But let this be the first fruits of thy gracious influence
upon it, to bring it to an humble distrust of itself, and to
a repose on thee !

"Abundantly do I rejoice, O Lord, in the kind assur-
ances which thou givest me of thy readiness to bestow
liberally and richly so great a benefit. I do therefore, ac«

Ch. 15.] CHRISTIAN TEMPER SOUGHT. 137

cording to thy condescending invitation, come with bold-
ness to the throne of grace, that I may find grace to help in
every time of need. Heb. iv. 16. I mean not, 0 Lord God,
to turn thy grace into wantonness or perverseness, (Jude,
ver. 4.) or to make ray weakness an excuse for negligence
and sloth. 1 confess thou hast already given me more
strength than I have used ; and I charge it upon myself,
and not on thee, that I have not long since received still
more abundant supplies. I desire for the future to be
found diligent in the use of all appointed means ; in the
neglect of which I well knov/ t'oat petitions like these
would be a profane mockery, and might much more pro-
bably provoke thee to take away what I have, than pre-
vail upon thee to impart more. But firmly resolving to
exert myself to the utmost, I earnestly entreat the commu-
nications of thy grace, that I may be enabled to fulfil that
resolution.

" Be surety, 0 Lord ! unto thy servant for good. Psalm
cxix. 122. Be pleased to shed abroad thy sanctifying in-
fluences on my soul, to form me for every duty tbou re-
quirest. Implant, I beseech thee, every grace and virtue
deep in my heart, and maintain the happy temper in the
midst of those assaults, from within and from without, to
which I am continually liable while I am still in this world
and carry about with me so many infirmities. Fill my
breast, I beseech thee, with good affections towards thee,
my God, and towards my fellow-creatures. Remind me
always of thy presence, and may I remember, that every
secret sentiment of my soul is open to thee. May I there-
fore guard against the first risings of sin, and the first ap-
proaches to it; and that Satan may not find room for his
evil suggestions, I earnestly beg that thou, Lord, wouldst
fill my heart with thine Holy Spirit, and take up thy resi-
dence there. Dwell in me, and walk with me, (2 Cor.
vi. 16.) and let my body be the temple of the Holy Ghost.
1 Cor. vi. 19.

" May I be so joined to Christ Jesus my Lord, as to be
one spirit with him, (1 Cor. vi. 17.) and feel his invigorat-
ing influences continually bearing me on, superior to every
temptation, and to every corruption ; that while the youths
shall faint and be weary, and the young men utterly fall,
I may so wait upon the Lord as to renew my strength,

laS SPIRITUAL I>ISCOURAGEMENTS. [Ch. 16.

(Isai. xl. 30, 31.) and may go on from one degree of faith,
and love, and zeal, and holiness, to another, till I appear
perfect before thee in Zion, (Psalm Ixxxiv. 7.) to drink in
immortal vigour and joy from thee, as the everlasting foun-
tain of both, through Jesus Christ my Lord, in whom I
have righteousness and strength, (Isai. xlv. 24.) and to
whom I desire ever to ascribe the praise of all my im-
provements in both. Amen."

CHAPTEP.. XVI.

THE CHRISTIAN CONVERT WARNED OF, AND ANIMATED AGAINST, THOSE
DISCOURAGEMENTS WHICH HE MUST EXPECT TO MEET, WHEN ENtER-
ING ON A RELIGIOUS COURSE.

1. Christ has instructed his disciples to expect opposition and difficul-
ties in the way to heaven. — 2. Therefore, a more particular view of
them is taken, as arising— from the remainder of indwelling sin. —
3. From the world, and especially frojn former sinful companions.
— i. From the temptations and suggestions of Satan. — 5, 6. The
Christian is animated and encouraged, by various considerations,
to oppose them : particidarly by the presence of God ; the aids of
Christ ; the example of others, ivho, though feeble, have conquer-
ed ; and the crown of glory to be expected. — 7. Therefore, though
apostacy be infinitely fated, the Christian may press on cheerfully.
Accordingly the soul, alarmed by these views, f.7 represented as
committing itself to God, in the prayer which concludes the chapter.

1. With the utmost propriety has our Divine Master
required us " to strive to enter in at the strait gate," (Luke,
xiii. 23.) thereby intimating, not only that the passage is
narrow, but that it is beset with enemies ; beset on the
right hand and on the left with enemies cunning and for-
midable. And be assured, 0 reader ! that, whatever your
circumstances in life are, you must meet and encounter
them. It will therefore be your prudence to survey them
attentively in your own reflections, that you may see what
you are to expect ; and may consider in what armour it is
necessary you shall be clothed, and with what weapons
you must be furnished to manage the combat. You have
often heard them marshalled, as it were, under three great
leaders, the flesh, the world, and the devil; and, accord-
ing to this distribution, I would call you to consider the

Ch. 16.] SPIRITUAL DISCOURAGEMENTS. 139

forces of each, as setting themselves in array against you
0 that you may be excited " to take to yourself the whole
armour of God," (Eph. vi. 13.) and to " acquit yourself
like a man," and a Christian ! 1 Cor. xvi. 13.

2. Let your conscience answer, whether you do not
carry about with you a corrupt and degenerate nature ?
You will, I doubt not, feel its effects. You will feel, in
the language of the apostle, who speaks of it as the case
of Christians themselves, " the ilesh lusting against the
spirit, so that you will not be able," in all instances, " to
do the things that you would." Gal. v. 17. You brought
irregular propensities into the world along with you ; and
you have so often indulged those sinful inclinations, that
you have greatly increased their strength ; and you will
find, in consequence of it, that these habits cannot be
broken through without great diihculty. You will, no
doubt, often recollect the strong figures in which the pro-
phet describes a case like yours ; and you will own, that
it is Justly represented by tliat " of an Ethiopian changing
his skin, and the leopard his spots." Jer. xiii. 23. It is
indeed possible, that, at first, you may find such an edge
and eagerness upon your spirits, as may lead you to ima-
gine that all opposition will immediately fall before you.
But, alas ! I fear that in a little time these enemies, which
seemed to be slaix at your feet, will revive, and recover
their weapons, and renew the assault in one form or an-
other. And perhaps your most painful combats may be
with such as you had thought most easy to be vanquished,
and your greatest danger may arise from some of those
enemies from whom you apprehended the least, particu-
larly from pride and from indolence of spirit; from a secret
alienation of heart from God, and from an indisposition for
conversing with him, through an immoderate attachment
to " things seen and temporal," which may be oftentimes
exceedingly dangerous to your salvation, though perhaps
they be not absolutely and universally prohibited. In a
thousand of these instances you must learn to deny your-
self, or you " cannot be Christ's disciple." Matt. xvi. 24.
3. You must also lay your account to find great difficul-
ties from the world, from its manners, customs, and ex-
amples. The things of the world will hinder you one way,
and the men of the world another. Perhaps you may meet

140 SPIRITUAL DISCOURAGEMENTS. [Ch. 16.

with much less assistance in religion than you are now
ready to expect from good men. The present generation
of them is generally so cautious to avoid every thing that
looks like ostentation, and there seems something so in-
supportably dreadful in the charge of enthusiasm, that you
will find most of your Christian brethren studying to con-
ceal their virtue and their piety, much more than others
study to conceal their vices and their profaneness. But
while, unless your situation be singularly happy, you meet
with very little aid one way, you will, no doubt, find great
opposition another. The enemies of religion will be bold
and active in their assaults, while many of its friends seem
unconcerned; and one sinner will probably exert himself
more to corrupt you, than ten Christians to secure and save
you. They who have been once your companions in sin,
will try a thousand artful methods to allure you back again
to their forsaken society : some of them perhaps with an
appearance of tender fondness, and many more by the al-
most irresistible art of ridicule : that boasted test of right
and wrong, as it has been wantonly called, will be tried
upon you, perhaps without any regard to decency, or even
to common humanity. Vou will be derided and insulted
by those whose esteem and affection you naturally desire;
and may find much more propriety than you imagine, in
that expression of the apostle, " the trial of cruel mock-
ings," (Heb. xi. 36.) which some fear more than either
sword or flames. This persecution of the tongue you must
expect to go through, and perhaps may be branded as a
lunatic, for no other cause than that you now begin to ex-
ercise your reason to purpose, and will not join with those
that are destroying their own souls in their wild career of
folly and madness.

4. And it is not at all improbable, that in the mean time
Satan may be doing his utmost to discourage and distress
you. He will, no doubt, raise in your imagination the most
tempting idea of the gratifications, the indulgences, and
the companions you are obliged to forsake ; and give you
the most discouraging and terrifying view of the difficul-
ties, severities, and dangers, which are, as he w411 persuade
you, inseparable from religion. He will not fail to repre-
sent God himself, the fountain of goodness and happiness,
as a hard Master, whom it is impossible to please. He will

Ch. 16. j SPIRITUAL DISCOURAGEMENTS. 141

perhaps fill you with the most distressful fears, and, with
cruel and insolent malice, glory over you as his slave,
when he knows you are the Lord's freeman. At one time
he will study, by his vile suggestions, to interrupt you iu
your duties, as if they gave him an additional power over
you. At another time he will endeavour to weary you of
your devotion, by influencing you to prolong it to an im-
moderate and tedious length, lest his power should be ex-
erted upon you when it ceases. In short, this practised
deceiver has artifices which it would require whole vo-
lumes to display, with particular cautions against each.
And he will follow you with malicious arts and pursuits
to the very end of your pilgrimage, and will leave no me-
thod unattempted which may be likely to weaken your
hands, and to sadden your heart, that if, through the gra-
cious interposition of God, he cannot prevent your final
happiness, he may at least impair your peace and your
usefulness as you are passing to it.

5. This is what the people of God feel, and what you
will feel in some degree or other, if you have your lot and
portion among them. Bat, after all, be not discouraged :
Christ is the " Captain of your salvatirn." Heb. ii. 10. It
is delightful to consider him under this view. When wo.
take a survey of these hosts of enemies, we may lift up our
head amidst them all, and say, " More and greater is he
that is with us, than all those that are against us." 2 Kings,
vi. 16. " Trust in the Lord, and you will be like Mount
Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever."
Psalm cxxv. 1. When your enemies press upon you, re-
member you are to " fight in the presence of God." Zech.
X. 5. Endeavour, therefore, to act a gallant and a resolute
part; endeavour to "resist them steadfast in the faith."
1 Pet. V. 9. Remember, " He can give power to the faint,
and increase strength to them that have no might." Isai.
xl. 29. He hath done it in ten thousand instances already,
and he will do it in ten thousand more. How many strip-
lings have conquered their gigantic foes in all their most
formidable armour, when they have gone forth against
them, though but as it were " with a staff and a sling, in
the name of the Lord God of Israel !" 1 Sam. xvii. 40 —
45. How many women and children have trodden down
the force of the enemy, " and out of weakness have been
made strong !" Heb. xi. 34.

142 SPIRITUAL ADVERSARIES. [Cb. 16.

6. Amidst all the opposition of earth and hell, look up-
ward and look forward, and you will feel your heart ani-
mated by the view. Your General is near : he is near to
aid you, he is near to reward you. When you feel the
temptation press the hardest, tbink of him who endured
even the cross itself for your rescue. View the fortitude
of your Divine Leader, and endeavour to march on in his
steps. Hearken to his voice, for he proclaims it aloud,
" Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me."
Rev. xxii. 12. " Be thou faithful unto death, and I v.ill
give thee a crown of life." Rev. ii. 10. And, oh! how
bright will it shine ! and how long will its lustre last !
When the gems that adorn the crowns of monarcbs, and
pass (instructive thought !) from one royal head to an-
other through succeeding centuries, are melted down in
the last ilame, it is " a crown of glory v»'bich fadeth not
away." 1 Pet. v. 4.

7. It is indeed true, " that such as turn aside to crook-
ed paths" will be " led forth with the workers of iniquity,''
to that terrible execution, wbich divine justice is prepar-
ing for them, (Psalm cxxv. 5.) and it would have been
" better for them not to have know'n the way of righteous-
ness, than, after having known it, to turn aside from the
holy commandment." 2 Pet. ii. 21. But I would, by di-
vine grace, " hope better things of you." Heb. vi. 9.
And I make it my hearty prayer for you, my reader, that
you may be " kept by the mighty power of God," kept,
as in a garrison on all sides fortified in the securest man-
ner, "through faith unto salvation."

TJie Soul, alarmed by a sense of these difficulties, committtn^
itself to Divine Protection.

" Blessed God ! it is to thine Almighty power that I flee.
Behold me surrounded with difficulties and dangers, and
stretch out thine omnipotent arm to save me, ' 0 thou that
savest by thy right hand them that put their trust in thee,
from those that rise up against them.' Psalm xvii. 7. This
day do I solemnly put myself under thy protection : exert
thy power in my favour, and permit me ' to make the
shadow of thy wings my refuge.' Psalm Ivii. 1. Let' thy
grace be sufficient for me,' and ' thy strength be made per-
fect in my weakness.' 2 Cor. xii. 9. I dare not say, ' I >vill

Ch. 16.] SPIRITUAL ADVERSARIES. 143

never forsake thee, I will never deny thee ;' (Maik, xiv.
31.) but I hope I can truly say, O Lord, 1 would not do
it; and that according to my present apprehension and
purpose, death would appear to me much less terrible,
than in any wilful and deliberate instance to offend thee.
O root out those corruptions from my heart, which in
an hour of pressing temptation might incline rae to view
things in a different light, and so might betray me into the
hands of the enemy ! Strengthen my faith, 0 Lord, and
encourage my hope ! Inspire me with heroic resolution
in opposing every thing that lies in my way to heaven ;
and let me ' set my face like a flint' against all the assaults
of earth and hell ! Isai. 1. 7. ' If sinners entice me, let me
not consent;' (Prov. i. 10.) if they insult me, let me not
regard it ; if they threaten me, let me not fear ! Rather
may a holy and ardent, yet prudent and well-governed zeal,
take occasion from that malignity of heart which they dis-
cover, to attempt their conviction and reformation! At
least, let me never be ashamed to plead thy cause againsL
the most profane deriders of religion ! ' Make me to hear
joy and gladness' in my soul, and I v/ill endeavour to
'teach transgressors thy ways, that sinners may be con-
verted unto thee !' Psalm li. S, 13. Yea, Lord, while my
fears continue, though I should apprehend myself con-
demned, I am condemned so righteously for my own folly,
that I would be thine advocate, though against myself.

" Keep me, O Lord, nov/, and at all times ! Never let
me think, vvhatever age or station I attain, that I am strong
enough to maintain the combat without thee ! Nor let me
imagine myself, even in this infancy of religion in my soul,
so weak that thou canst not support me ! Wherever thou
leadest me, there let me follow ; and whatever station
thou appointest me, there let me labour : there let me
maintain the holy war against all the enemies of my salva-
tion, and rather fall in it, than basely abandon it.

"And thou, 0 glorious Redeemer, ' the Captain of my
salvation,' the great 'Author and Finisher of my faith,'
(Heb. xii. 2.) when I am in danger of denying thee, as
Peter did, look upon me with that mixture of majesty and
tenderness, (Luke, xxii. 61.) which may either secure me
from falling, or may speedily recover me to God and my
duty again ! and teach me to take occasion, even from my

144 SELF-DEDICATION URGED. [Cll. 17,

miscarriages, to humble myself more deeply for all that
has been amiss, and to redouble my future diligence and
caution ! Amen."

CHAPTER XVII.

THE CHRISTIAN URGED TO, AND ASSISTED IN, AN EXPRESS ACT
OF SELF^DEDICATION TO THE SERVICE OF GOD.

1. The advantages of such a surrender are briefly suggested. — 2, 3,
4. Advice for the mangier of doing it ; that it be deliberate, cheer-
ful, entire, perpetual. — 5. jlnd that it be expressed ivith some af-
fecting solemnity. — 6. A written instrument to be signed and de-
clared before God, at some season of extraordinary devotion, pro-
posed. The chapter concludes with a sptecimen of such an instru-
ment, together with an abstract of it, to be used with proper and
requisite alterations.

1. As I would hope, that, notwithstanding all the forms
of opposition which do or may arise, yet in consideration
of those noble supports and motives which have been
mentioned in the two preceding chapters, you are hearti-
ly determined for the service of God, I would now urge
you to make a solemn surrender of yourself unto it. Do
not only form such a purpose in your heart, but expressly
declare it in the divine presence. Such solemnity in the
manner of doing it is certainly very reasonable in the na-
ture of things ; and surely it is highly expedient for bind-
ing to the Lord such a treacherous heart as we know our
own to be. It will be pleasant to reflect upon it, as done
at such and such a time, with such and such circumstances
of place and method, which may serve to strike the me-
mory and the conscience. The sense of the vows of God
which are upon you, will strengthen yiu in an hour of
temptation ; and the recollection may also encourage your
humble boldness and freedom in applying to him, under the
character and relation of your Covenant Gcd and Father,
as future exigencies may require.

2. Do it therefore; but do it deliberately. Consider
what it is that you are to do, and consider how reasonable
it is that it should be done, and done cordially and cheer-
fully j "not by constraint, but willingly," (1 Peter, v. 2.)

Ch. 17.] SELF-DEDICATION URGED. 146

for in this sense, and in every other, " God loves a cheer-
ful giver." 2 Cor. ix. 7. Now surely there is nothing we
should do with greater cheerfulness or more cordial con-
sent, than making such a surrender of ourselves to the Lord,
to the God who created us, who brought us into this plea-
sant and well-furnished world, who supported us in our
tender infancy, who guarded us in the thoughtless days
of childhood and youth, who has hitherto continually
helped, sustained, and preserved us. Nothing can be more
reasonable than that we should acknowledge him as our
rightful owner, and our Sovereign Ruler; than that we
should devote ourselves to him as our most gracious Be-
nefactor, and seek him as our supreme felicity. Nothing
can be more apparently equitable than that we, the pro-
duct of his power, and the price of his Son's blood, should
be his, and his for ever. If you see the matter in its just
view, it will be the grief of your soul that you have ever
alienated yourself from the blessed God and his service :
so far will you be from wishing to continue in that state of
alienation another year, or another day, you will rejoice
to bring back to him his revolted creature ; and as you
have in times past " yielded your members as instruments
of unrighteousness unto sin," you will delight to *' yield
yourselves unto God as alive from the dead," and to employ
" your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."
Rom. vi. 13.

3. The surrender will also be as entire, as it is cheerful
and immediate. All you are, and all you have, and all you
can do, your time, your possessions, your influence over
others, will be devoted to him, that for the future it may
be employed entirely for him, and to his glory. You will
desire to keep back nothing from him ; but will seriously
judge that you are then in the truest and noblest sense
your own, when you are most entirely his. You are also, on
this great occasion, to resign all that you have to the dis-
posal of his wise and gracious providence ; not only own-
ing his power, but consenting to his undoubted right to do
what he pleases with you, and all that he has given you ;
and declaring a hearty approbation of all that he has done,
and of all that he may farther do.

4. Once more, let me remind you that this surrender
must be perpetual. You must give yourselC up to God in

7

H6 SELF-DEDICATION URGED. [Ch. 17.

such a manner, as never more to pretend to be your own ;
for the rights of God are, h'ke his nature, eternal and im-
mutable ; and with regard to his rational creatures, are the
same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.

5. I would farther advise and urge that this dedication
may be made with all possible solemnity. Do it in ex-
press words. And perhaps it may be in many cases most
expedient, as many pious divines have recommended, to do
it in writing. Set your hand and seal to it, " that, on such
a day of such a month and year, and at such a place, on
full consideration and serious reflection, you came to this
happy resolution, that, whatsoever others might do, you
Vvould serve the Lord." Josh. xxiv. 15.

6. Such an instrument you may, if you please, draw up
for yourself; or, if you rather choose to have it drawn up
to your hand, you may find something of this nature be-
low, in which you may easily make such alterations as
shall suit your circumstances, where there is any thing pe-
culiar in them. But whatever you use, weigh it well, me-
ditate attentively upon it, that you may " not be rash with
your mouth to utter any thing before God." Eccl. v. 2.
And when you determine to execute this instrument, let
the transaction be attended with some more than ordinary
religious retirement. Make it, if you conveniently can, a
day of secret fasting and prayer ; and when your heart is
prepared with a becoming awe of the Divine Majesty,
with an humble confidence in his goodness, and an earnest
desire of his favour, then present yourself on your knees
before God, and read it over deliberately and solemnly ;
and when you have signed it, lay it by in some secure
place, where you may review it whenever you please ; and
make it a rule with yourself to review it, if possible, at
certain seasons of the year, that you may keep up the re-
membrance of it. And God grant that you may be ena-
bled to keep it, and in the whole of your conversation to
walk according to it. May it be an anchor to your soul
in every temptation, and a cordial to it in every affliction.
May the recollection of it embolden your addresses to the
throne of grace now, and give additional strength to your
departing spirit, in a consciousness that it is ascending to
your covenant God and Father, and to that gracious Re-
deemer, whose power and faithfulness will securely " keep
what you commit to him unto that day." 2 Tim. i. 12.

Ch. 17."] FORM OP SELF-DEDICATION. 14T

An Example of Self- Dedication.

" Eternal and unchangeable Jehovah ! thou great Crea-
tor of heaven and earth, and adorable Lord of angels and
men, I desire, with the deepest humiliation and abasement
of soul, to fall down at this time in thine awful presence,
and earnestly pray that thou wilt penetrate my heart with
a suitable sense of thine unutterable and inconceivable
glories.

" Trembling may justly take hold upon me, (Job. xx.
6.) when I, a sinful worm, presume to lift up my head to
Ihee, presume to appear in thy majestic presence on such
an occasion as this. Who am I, O Lord God ! or what is my
house ? What is my nature or descent, my character and
desert, that I should thus address the King of kings, and
Lord of lords ! I blush and am confounded before thee.
But, 0 Lord ! great as is thy majesty, so also is thy mercy.
If thou wilt hold converse with any of thy creatures, thy
superlatively exalted nature must stoop, must stoop infi-
nitely low And I know, that in and through Jesus, the
Son of thy love, thou condescendest to visit sinful mortals,
and to allow their approach to thee, and their covenant in-
tercourse with thee; nay, I know that the scheme and
plan is thine own, and that thou hast graciously sent to
propose it to us ; as none untaught by thee would have
been able to form it, or inclined to embrace it, even when
actually proposed.

"To thee therefore do I now come, invited by the name
of thy Son, and trusting in his righteousness and grace.
Laying myself at thy feet, * with shame and confusion of
face,' and * smiting upon my breast,' I say, with the hum-
ble publican, *God be merciful to me a sinner!' Luke,
xviii. 13. I acknowledge, 0 Lord ! that I have been a
great transgressor. *My sins have reached unto heaven,'
(Rev. xviii. 6.) and my iniquities are lifted up unto the
skies.' Jer. li. 9. The irregular propensities of my cor-
rupted and degenerated nature have, in ten thousand ag-
gravated instances, * wrought to bring forth fruit unto
death.' Rom. viii. 5. And if thou shouldst be strict to
- mark my offences, I must be silent under a load of guilt,
and immediately sink into destruction. But thou hast gra-
ciously called me to return unto thee, though I have beea

148 FORM OF SELF-DEDICATION- [Ch. 17.

& wandering sheep, a prodigal son, a backsliding child.
Jer. iii. 22. Behold, therefore, 0 Lord ! I come unto
thee. I come, convinced not only of my sin, but of my
folly. I come, from my very heart ashamed of myself, and
with an acknowledgment, in the sincerity and humility
of my soul, that ' I have played the fool, and have erred
exceedingly.' 1 Sam. xxvi. 21. I am confounded myself
at the remembrance of these things ; but be thou * mer-
ciful to my unrighteousness, and do not remember against
me my sins and my transgressions!' Heb. viii. 12. Per-
mit me, O Lord, to bring back unto thee those powers
and faculties which I have ungratt-fully and sacrilegiously
alienated from thy service j and receive, I beseech thee,
thy poor revolted creature, who is now convinced of thy
right to him, and desires nothing in the whole world so
much as to be thine !

" Blessed God ! it is with the utmost solemnity that I
make this surrender of myself unto thee. '- Hear, 0 hea-
vens, and give ear, 0 earth ! I avouch the Lord this day to
be my God,' (Deut. xxvi. 17.) and I avouch and declare
myself this day to be one of his covenant children and
people. Hear, 0 thou God of heaven ! and record it in
the book of thy remembrance,' (Mat. iii. 16.) that hence-
forth I am thine, entirely thine. I would not merely con-
secrate unto thee some of my powers, or some of my pos-
sessions, or give thee a certain proportion of my services,
or all I am capable of for a limiied time, but I would be
wholly thine, and thine for ever. From this day I do
solemnly renounce all the ' former lords which have had
dominion over me,' (Isai. xxvi. 13.) every sin and every
lust; and bid, in thy name, an eternal defiance to the
powers of hell, which have most unjustly usurped the em-
pire over my soul, and to all the corruptions which their
fatal temptations have introduced into it. The whole frame
of my nature, all the faculties of my mind, and all the
members of my body, would I present before thee this
day, ' as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God,
which' I know to be *my most reasonable service.' Kom.
xii. 1. To thee I consecrate all my worldly possessions :
in thy service I desire to spend all the remainder of my
time upon earth, and beg thou wouldst instruct and influ-
ence me, so that, whether my abode here be longer or

Ch. 17.] FORM OF SELF-DEDICATION. 149

shorter, every year and month, every day and hour, may
be used in such a manner as shall most effectually promote
thine honour, and subserve the designs of thy wise and
gracious providence. And I earnestly pray, that, whatever
influence thou givest me over others, in any of the su-
perior relations of life in which I may stand, or in conse-
quence of any peculiar regard which may be paid to me,
thou wouidst give me the strength and courage to exert
myself to the utmost for thy glory ; resolving not only that
I will myself do it, but that all others, so far as I can ra-
tionally and properly influence them, 'shall serve the
Lord.' Josh. xxiv. 15. In this course, 0 blessed God!
would I steadily persevere to the very end of life ; earnest-
ly praying, that every future day of it may supply the de-
ficiencies, and correct the irregularities of the former ; and
that I may, by divine grace, be enabled not only to hold
on in that happy way, but daily to grow more active in it I
" Nor do I only consecrate all that I am and have to thy
service, but I also most humbly resign, and submit to thy
holy and sovereign will, myself, and all that I can call
mine. I leave, 0 Lord ! to thy management and direction,
all I possess, and all I wish ; and set every enjoyment and
every interest before thee, to be disposed of asthoupleasest.
Continue or remove what thou hast given me ; bestow or
refuse what I imagine I want, as thou. Lord, shalt see
good ! And though I dare not say I will never repine, yet I
hope I may venture to say, that I will labour not only
to submit, but to acquiesce ; not only to bear what thou
doest in thy most afflictive dispensations, but to consent
to it, and to praise thee for it ; contentedly resolving, in all
thou appointest for me, my w ill into thine, and looking on my-
self as nothing, and on thee, 0 God ! as the great eternal ALL,
w hose word ought to determine every thing, and whose go-
vernment ought to be the joy of the whole rational creation.
" Use me, O Lord ! I beseech thee, as the instrument
of thy glory ; and honour me so far, as, either by doing
or suff'ering what thou shalt appoint, to bring some reve-
nue of praise to thee, and of benefit to the world in which "
I dwell ! And may it please thee, from this day forward,
to number me among thy peculiar people ! that I may no
more be a stranger and foreigner, but a fellow-citizen with
the saints, and of the household of God." Eph. ii. 19.

150 FORM OP SELF-DEDICATION. [Ch. 17.

Receive, O heavenly Father ! thy returning prodigal !
Wash me in the blood of thy dear Son ; clothe me with
his perfect righteousness ; and sanctify me throughout by
the power of thy Spirit ! Destroy, I beseech thee, more
and more the power of sin in my heart ! Transform me
more into thine own image, and fashion me to the resem-
blance of Jesus, whom henceforward I would acknow-
ledge as my teacher and sacrifice, my intercessor and my
Lord ! Communicate to me, I beseech thee, all needful m-
tluences of thy purifying, thy cheering, and thy comforting
Spirit ! And lift up that ' light of thy countenance upon
me,' which will put the sublimest joy and ' gladness into
my soul.' Psalm iv. 6, 7.

*' Dispose my affairs, 0 God ! in a manner which may be
most subservient to thy glory and my own truest happiness ;
and when 1 have done and borne thy will upon earth, call me
from hence at what time and in what manner thou pleasest :
only grant, that, in my dying moments, and in the near
prospect of eternity, I may remember these my engage-
ments to thee, and may employ my latest breath in thy
service. And do thou. Lord, when thou seest the agonies
of dissolving nature upon me, remember this covenant too,
even though I should then be incapable of recollecting it.
Look down, O my heavenly Father ! with a pitying eye,
upon thy languishing, thy dying child ; place thine ever-
lasting arms underneath me for my support; put strength
and confidence into my departing spirit, and receive it to
the embraces of thine everlasting love. Welcome it to the
abodes of them that sleep in Jesus, (1 Thess. iv. 14.) to
wait with them that glorious day, when the last of thy
promises to thy covenant people shall be fulfilled in their
triumphant resurrection, and in that abundant entrance,
which shall be administered to them into that everlasting
kingdom, (2 Pet. i. 12.) of which thou hast assured them
by THY COVENANT, and in the hope of which I now lay
hold of it, desiring to live and to die, as with mine hand
on that hope.

" And when I am thus numbered among the dead, and
all the interests of mortality are over with me for ever, if
this sokran memorial should chance to fall into the hands
of my surviving friends, may it be the means of making
serious impressions on their minds. May they read it, not

Ch. 17.] FORM OF SELF-DEDICATION l51

only as my language, but as their own ; and learn to fear
the Lord my God, and with me to put their trust under the
shadow of his wing, for time and for eternity ! And may
they also learn to adore with me that grace, which inclines
our hearts to enter into the covenant, and condescends to
admit us into it when so inclined ; ascribing, with me, and
with all the nations of the redeemed, to the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost, that glory, honour, and praise,
which is so justly due to each divine Person, for the part
he bears in this illustrious work. Amen."

N. B. For the sake of those who may think the preceding Form of
Self-Dedication too long to be transcribed, as it is possible many
will, I have, at the desire of a much esteemed friend, added the fol-
lowing Abridgment of it, which should, by all means, be atten-
tively weighed in every clause before it is executed ; and any word
or phrase which may seem liable to exception, changed, that the
whole heart may consent to it all.

" Eternal and ever-blessed God ! I desire to present
myself before thee, with the deepest humiliation and
abasement of soul, sensible how unworthy such a siuful
worm is to appear before the holy Majesty of heaven, the
King of kings, and Lord of lords, and especially on such
an occasion as this, ever to dedicate myself, without re-
serve, to thee. But the scheme and plan is thine own.
Thine infinite condescension hath offered it by thy Son,
and thy grace hath inclined my heart to accept of it.

"I come, therefore, acknowledging myself to hav^
been a great offender; smiting upon my breast, and saying
with the humble publican, * God be merciful to me a sin-
ner ! I come, invited by the name of thy Son, and wholly
trusting in his perfect righteousness, entreating that for his
sake, thou wilt be merciful to my unrighteousness, and
wilt no more remember my sins. Receive, I beseech thee,
thy revolted creature, who is now convinced of thy right
to him, and desires nothing so much as that he may be
thine.

" This day do I, with the utmost solemnity, surrender
myself to thee. I renounce all former lords that have had
dominion over me ; and I consecrate to thee all that I am,
and all that I have ; the faculties of my mind, the mem-
bers of my body, my worldly possessions, my time, and my
influence over others ; to be all used entirely for thy glory.

162 FORM OF SELF-DEDICATION. [Ch. 17.

and resolutely employed in obedience to thy commands,
as long as thou coutinuest me in life ; with an ardent de-
sire and humble resolution to continue thine through all
the endless ages of eternity ; ever holding myself in an at-
tentive posture to observe the first intimations of thy will,
and ready to spring forward with zeal and joy, to the im-
mediate execution of it.

" To thy direction also I resign myself, and all I am and
have, to be disposed of by thee in such a manner as thou
shalt, in thine infinite wisdom, judge most subservient to
the purposes of thy glory. To thee I leave the manage-
ment of all events, and say without reserve, ' Not my will,
but thine be done,' rejoicing with a loyal heart in thine
unlimited government, as what ought to be the delight of
the whole rational creation.

" Use me, 0 Lord ! I beseech thee, as an instrument
of thy service ! Number me among thy peculiar people !
Let me be washed in the blood of thy dear Son ! Let me
be clothed with his righteousness ! Let me be sanctified
by his Spirit ! Transform me more and more into his im-
age ! Impart to me, through him, all needful influences of
thy purifying, cheering, and comforting Spirit ! And let
my life be spent under those influences, and in the light
of thy gracious countenance, as my Father and my God !
" And when the solemn hour of death comes, may I re-
member thy COVENANT, 'well-ordered in all things and
sure, as all my salvation, and all my desire,' (2 Sam. xxiii.
6.) though every hope and enjoyment is perishing; and
do thou, 0 Lord ! remember it too. Look down with pity,
O my heavenly Father, on thy languishing, dying child!
Embrace me in thine everlasting arms ! Put strength and
confidence into my departing spirit, and receive it to the
abodes of them that sleep in Jesus, peacefully and joyful-
ly to wait the accomplishment of thy great promise to
all thy people, even that of a glorious resurrection, and
of eternal happiness in thine heavenly presence !

"And if any surviving friend should, when I am in the
dust, meet with this memorial of my solemn transactions
with thee, may he make the engagement his own ; and do
thou graciously admit him to partake in all the blessings of
THY COVENANT, through Jcsus the great Mediator of it ; to
whom, with thee, 0 Father, and thy Holy Spirit;, be ever-

Ch. 18.] ] ON THE lord's SUPPER. 153

lasting praises ascribed, by all tbe millions who are thus
saved by thee, and by all those other celestial spirits, in
whose work and blessedness thou shalt call them to share !
Amen.''

CHAPTER XVIII.

ON COMMUNION IN THE LORD's SUPPER.

1. If the reader has received the Ordinance of Baptism, and, as above
recommended, dedicated himself to God. — 2. He is urged to ratify
that engagement at the Table of the Lord. — 3. From a view of the
ends for which that Ordinance was instituted. — 4. Whence its
usefulness is strongly inferred. — 5. And from the Authority oj
ChrisVs Appointment, which is solemnly pressed on the conscience:^
6. Objections from apprehensions of Unfitness. — 7. Weakness of
grace, 8fc. briefly answered. — 8. At least, serious thoughtfulness on
this subject is absolutely insisted upon. — 9. The chapter is closed
with a pray erf or one who desires to attend, yet finds himself press-
ed with remaining doubts.

1. I HOPE this chapter will find you, by a most express
consent, become one of God's covenant people, solemnly
and most cordially devoted to his service ; and it is my
hearty prayer, that the engagements you have made on
earth may be ratified in heaven. But for your farther in-
struction and edification, give me leave to remind you,
that our Lord Jesus Christ hath appointed a peculiar man-
ner of expressing our regard to him, by commemorating
his dying love, which, though it does not forbid any other
proper way of doiiig it, must by no means be set aside or
neglected for any human methods, how prudent and expe-
dient soever they may appear to us.

2. Our Lord has wisely ordained, that the advantages of
society should be brought into religion ; and as, by his
command, professed Christians assemble together for other
acts of public worship, su he has been pleased to institute
a social ordinance, in which a whole assembly of them is
to come to his table, and there to eat the same bread, and
drink the same cup. And this they are to do, as a token
of their affectionate remembrance of his dying love, of
their solemn surrender of themselves to God, and of their
sincere love to one another, and to all their fellow-Chris-
tians. ^^

154 ON THE lord's SUPPER. [Ch. 18.

3. That these are indeed the great ends of the Lord's
Supper, I shall not now stay to argue at large. You need
only read what the apostle Paul hath written in the tenth
And eleventh chapters of his first epistle to the Corin-
thians, to convince you fully of this. He there expressly
tells us, that our Lord commanded " the bread to be
eaten," and " the wine to be drunk, in remembrance of
him," (1 Cor. xi. 24. 25.) or as a commemoration or me-
morial of him ; so that, as often as we attend this institu-
tion, " we show forth the Lord's death," which we are to
do " even until he come," 1 Cor. xi. 26. And it is parti-
cularly asserted, that " the cup is the New Testament in
Jris blood ;" that is, it is a seal of that covenant which was
ratified by his blood. Now, it is evident, that, in conse-
quence of this, we are to approach it with a view to that
covenant, desiring its blessings, and resolving, by divine
grace, to comply with its demands. On the whole, there-
fore, as the apostle speaks, we have " communion in the
body and the blood of Christ," (1 Cor. x. 16.) and par-
taking of his table and of his cup, we converse with Christ,
and join ourselves to him as his people; as the Jews, by
eating their sacrifices, conversed with Jehovah, and joined
themselves to him. He farther reminds them, that, though
many, they were " one bread and one body," being " all
partakers of that one bread," (1 Cor. x. 17.) and being
" all made to drink into one Spirit;" (1 Cor. xii. 13.) that
is, meeting together as if they were but one family, and
joining in the commemoration of that one blood which was
their common ransom, and of the Lord Jesus, their com-
mon head. Now, it is evident, all these reasonings are
equally applicable to Christians in succeeding ages. Per-
mit me, therefore, by the authority of our divine Master,
to press upon you the observation of this precept.

4. And let me also urge it, from the apparent tendency
which it has to promote your truest advantage. You are
setting out in the Christian life; and I have reminded you
at large of the opposition you must expect to meet in it
It is the love of Christ which must animate you to break
through all. What then can be more desirable than to
bear about with you a lively sense of it ? and what can
awaken that sense more than the contemplation of his
death as there represented ? Who can behold the bread

Ch. 18.J ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 155

broken, and the wine poured out, and not reflect how the
body of the' blessed Jesus was even torn in pieces by his
sufferings, and his sacred blood poured forth like water on
the ground ? Who can think of the heart-rending agonies
of the Son of God as the price of our redemption and sal-
vation, and not feel his soul melted with tenderness, and
inflamed with grateful aff*ection ? What an exalted view
doth it give us of the blessings of the gospel-covenant,
when we consider it as established in the blood of God's
only-begotten Son ! And when we make our approach to
God as our heavenly Father, and give up ourselves to his
service in this solemn manner, what an awful teadency has
it to fix the conviction, that we are not our own, being
bought with such a price ! 1 Cor. vi. 19. 20. What a
tendency has it to guard us against every temptation to those
sins which we have so solemnly renounced, and to engage
our fidelity to him to whom we have bound our souls as
with an oath ! Well may our hearts be knit together in
mutual love, (Col. ii. 2.) when we consider ourselves as
"one in Christ :" Gal. iii. 28.) his blood becomes the ce-
ment of the society, joins us in spirit, not only to each
other, but " to all that in every place call upon the name
of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours," (1 Cor. i.
2.) and we anticipate, in pleasing hope, that blessed day,
when the assembly shall be complete, and we shall a!l
" be for ever with the Lord," 1 Thess. iv. 17. Well may
these views engage us to deny ourselves, and to " take up
our cross and follow our crucified Master." Mat. xvi. 24.
Well may they engage us to do our utmost, by prayer, and
all other suitable endeavours, to serve his followers and his
friends ; to serve those whom he hath purchased with his
blood, and who are to be his associates and ours, in the
glories of a happy immortality.

5. It is also the express institution and command of our
blessed Redeemer, that the members of such societies
should be tenderly solicitous for the spiritual welfare of
each other : and that, on the whole, his churches may be
kept pure and holy, that they should " withdraw them-
selves from every brother that walketh disorderly ;" (2
Thess. iii. 6.) that they should "mark such as cause of-
fences" or scandals among them, " contrary to the doc-
trine which they have learned, and avoid tliemj" (Rom,

156 ON THE lord's SUPPER. [Ch. 18.

xvi. 17.) "that if any obey not the word of Christ by his
apostles," they should " have no fellowship or«comraunion
with such, that they may be ashamed;" (2 Thess. iii. 14.)
that they should " not eat with such as are notoriously ir-
regular" in their behaviour, but, on the contrary, should
" put away from among themselves such wicked persons,"
1 Cor. V. 11. 13. It is evident, therefore, that the institu-
tion of such societies is greatly for the honour of Christi-
anity, and for the advantage of its particular professors.
And consequently, every consideration of obedience to our
common Lord, and of prudent regard to our own benefit
and that of our brethren, will require that those who love
our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity should enter into them,
and assemble among them, in these their most solemn and
peculiar acts of communion, at his table.

6. I entreat you, therefore, and if I may presume to say
it, in his name and by his authority, I charge it on your
conscience, that this precept of our dying Lord go not, as
it were, for nothing with you; but that, if you indeed love
him, you keep this, as well as the rest of his command-
ments. I know you may be ready to form objections. I
have elsewhere debated many of the chief of them at large,
and I hope not without some good effect.* The great
question is that which relates to your being prepared for a
worthy attendance; and in conjunction with what has been
said before, I think that may be brought to a very short is-
sue. Have you, so far as you know your own heart, been
sincere in that deliberate surrender of yourself to God,
through Christ, which I recommended in the former chap-
ter ? If you have, whether it were with or without the
particular form or manner of doing it there recommended,
you have certainly taken hold of the covenant, and there-
fore should devote yourself to God, in obedience to all his
commands. And there is not, and cannot be, any other
view of the ordinance, in which you can have any further
objection to it. If you desire to remember Christ's death ;
if you desire to renew the dedication of yourself to God
through him; if you would list yourself among his people;
if you would love them, and do them good according to
your ability, and, on the whole, would not allow yourself

* See the Fourth of my Sermons to Young Persons.

Ch. 18.] ON THE lord's SUPPER. 167

in the practice of any one known sin, or in the omission
of any one known duty, then I will venture confidently to
say, not only that you will be welcome to the ordinance,
but that it was instituted for such as you.

7. As for other objections, a few words may suffice by
way of reply. The weakness of the religious principle in
your soul, if it be really implanted there, is so far from be-
ing an argument against your seeking such a method to
strengthen it, that it rather strongly enforces the necessity
of doing it. The neglect of this solemnity, by so many
that call themselves Christians, should rather engage you
so much the more to distinguish your zeal for an institu-
tion in this respect so much slighted and injured. And as
for the fears of aggravated guilt, in case of apostacy, do
not indulge them. This may, by the divine blessing, be
an effectual remedy against the evil you fear; and it is
certain, that, after what you must already have known and
felt, before you could be brought into your present situa-
tion, (on the supposition I have now been making) there
can be no room to think of a retreat ; no room, even for
the wretched hope of being less miserable than the gene-
rality of those that have perished. Your scheme, there-
fore, must be to make your salvation as sure, and to make
it as glorious, as possible ; and I know not any appoint-
ment of our blessed Redeemer, which may have a more
comfortable aspect upon that blessed end, than this which
I am recommending to you.

8. One thing I would at least insist upon, and I see not
with what face it can be denied. I mean, that you should
take this matter into serious consideration ; that you should
diligently inquire, " whether you have reason in your con-
science to believe, it is the will of God you should now
approach to the ordinance or not ;" and that you should
continue your reflections, your inquiries, and your prayers,
till you find farther encouragement to come, if that encou-
ragement be hitherto wanting. For of this be assured,
that a state in which you are on the whole unfit to ap-
proach this ordinance, is a state in which you are desti-
tute of the necessary preparations for death and heaven ;
in which, therefore, if you would not allow yourselves to
slumber on the brink of destruction, you ought not to rest
so much as one single day.

168 ON THE lord's SUPPER. [Ch. 18.

A Prayer for one who earnestly desires to approach the Table of the.
Lord, yet has some remaining doubts concerning his right to that
solemn ordinance.

" Blessed Lord ! I adore thy wise and gracious ap-
pointments, for the edification of thy church in holiness
and in love. I thank thee that thou hast commanded thy
servants to form themselves into churches ; and I adore
my gracious Saviour, who hath instituted, as with his dying
breath, the holy solemnity of his Supper, to be through
all ages a memorial of his dying love, and a bond of that
union which it is his sovereign pleasure that his people
should preserve. I hope thou. Lord, art witness to the
sincerity with which I desire to give myself up to thee ;
and that I may call thee to record on my soul, that, if I
now hesitate about this particular manner of doing it, it is
not because I would allow myself to break any of thy
commands, or to slight any of thy favours. I trust thou
knowest that my present delay arises only from my uncer-
tainty as to my duty, and a fear of profaning holy things
by an unworthy approach to them. Yet surely, O Lord !
if thou hast given me a reverence for thy command, a de-
sire of communion with thee, and a willingness to devote
myself wholly to thy service, I may regard it as a token
for good, that thou art disposed to receive me, and that I
am not wholly unqualified for an ordinance which I so
highly honour, and so earnestly desire. I therefore make
it my humble request unto thee, 0 Lord ! this day, that
thou wouldst graciously be pleased to instruct me in my
duty, and to teach me the way which I should take.
' Examine me, 0 Lord ! and prove me, try my reins and
my heart!' Psal. xxvi. 2. Is there any secret sin, in the
love and practice of which I would indulge ? Is there
any of thy precepts, in the habitual breach of which I
would allow myself? I trust I can appeal to thee as a
witness that there is not. Let me not, then, wrong my
own soul, by a causeless and sinful absence from thy sa-
cred table ! But grant, O Lord ! I beseech thee, that thy
word, thy providence, and thy Spirit, may so concur as to
*make my way plain before me!' Prov. xv. 19. Scatter
iny remaining doubts, if thou seest that they have no just
foundation ! Fill me with more assured faith, with a

Ch. 18.] ON THE lord's supper. 169

more ardent love, and plead thine own cause with my
heart in such a manner, as that I may not be able any
longer to delay that approach, which, if I am thy servant
indeed, is equally my duty and my privilege ! In the mean
time, grant that it may never be long out of my thoughts ;
but that I may give all diligence, if there be any remain-
ing occasion of doubt, to remove it by a more affectionate
concern to avoid whatever is displeasing to the eyes of
thine holiness, and to practise the full extent of my duty.
May the views of Christ crucified be so familiar to my mind,
and may a sense of his dying love so powerfully constrain
my soul, that my own growing experience may put it out
of all question, that I am one of those for whom he in-
tended this feast of love !

" And even now, as joined to thy church in spirit and
in love, though not in so express and intimate a bond as I
could wish, would I heartily pray, that thy blessing may
be on all thy people ; that thou wouldst ' feed thine herit-
age, and lift them up for ever !' Psal. xxviii. 9. May
every Christian church flourish in knowledge, in holiness,
and in love ! May all thy priests be clothed with salva-
tion, that by their means thy chosen people may be made
joyful. Psalm cxxxii. 16. And may there be a glorious ac-
cession to thy churches every where, of those who may fly
to them *as a cloud, and as doves to their windows,'
Isaiah Ix. 8. May thy table, 0 Lord! be ^furnished with
guests,' (Mat. xxii. 10.) and may all that ' love thy salva-
tion say, Let the Lord be magnified, who hath pleasure in
the prosperity of his servants,' Psalm xxxv. 27. And I
earnestly pray, that all who profess Ho have received
Christ Jesus the Lord,' may be duly careful to * walk in
him,' (Col. ii. 6.) and that we may all be preparing for
the general assembly of the first-born, and may join in that
nobler and more immediate worship, where all these types
and shadows shall be laid aside; where even these memo-
rials shall be no longer necessary ; but a living, present
Redeemer, shall be the everlasting joy of those, who here
in his absence have delighted to commemorate his death ?
Amen !

160 COMMUNION WITH GOD. [Ch. 19.

CHAPTER XIX.

SOME MORE PARTICULAR DIRECTIONS FOR MAINTAINING CON-
TINUAL COMMUNION WITH GOD, OR BEING IN HIS FEAR ALL
THE DAY LONG.

1. A Letter to a pious friend on this subject introduced here. — 2. Ge-
neral plan of directions. — 3. For the beginning of the day. -4. Lifting
up the heart to God at our first awakening.--^. 10. Setting ourselves
to the secret devotions of the morning, uuth respect to which parti-
cular advice is given. — 11. For the progress of the day. — 12. Di-
rections are given concerning seriousness in devotion. — 13. Dili-
gence in business. — 14. Prudence in recreations. — 15. Observation
of Providences. — 16. Watchfulness against temptations. — 17. De-
pendence on divine influences. — 18. Government of the thoughts
when in solitude. — 19. Management of Discourse in company. —
20. For the conclusion of the day — 21. With the secret devotions
of the evening. — 22. 23. Directions for self-examination at large.
— 24. Lying down with a proper temper. — 25. Conclusion of the
letter. — 26. aiul of the chapter. — With a serious view of death, pro
per to be taken at the close of the day.

1. I WOULD hope, that upon serious consideration, self-
examination, and prayer, the reader has given himself up
to God; and that his concern now is to inquire, how he
may act according to the vows of God which are upon
him. Now, for his farther assistance here, besides the
general view I have already given of the Christian temper
and character, I will propose some more particular direc-
tions relating to maintaining that devout, spiritual, and
heavenly character, which may, in the language of scrip-
ture, be called " a daily walking with God, or being in his
fear all the day long," Prov. xxiii. 17. And I know not
how I can express the idea and plan which I have formed
of this, in a more clear and distinct manner than I did in
a letter which I wrote many years ago [in 1727J to a young
person of eminent piety, with whom I had then an intimate
friendship; and who, to the great grief of all that knew
him, died a few months after he received it. Yet I hope
he lived long enough to reduce the directions to practice,
which I wish and pray that every reader may do, so far as
they may properly suit his capacities and circumstances in
life, considering it as if addressed to himself. I say, and
desire it may be observed, that I wish my reader may act
on these directions so far as they may properly suit his ca-

Ch. 19.J DEVOTIONS OF A DAY. 161

pacities and circumstances in life; for I would be far from
laying down the following particulars as universal rules for
all, or for any one person in the world, at all times. Let
them be practised by those that are able, and when they
have leisure; and when you cannot reach them all, come
as near the most important of them as you conveniently
can. With this precaution I proceed to the letter, which
I would hope, after this previous care to guard against the
danger of mistaking it, will not discourage any, the weakest
Christian. Let us humbly and cheerfully do what we can,
and rejoice that we have so gracious a Father, who knows
all our infirmities, and so compassionate a High Priest, to
recommend to divine acceptance the feeblest efforts of sin-
cere duty and love !

My dear Friend^

Since you desire my thoughts in writing, and at large,
on the subject of our late conversation, viz. " By what par-
ticular methods, in our daily conduct, a life of devotion
and usefulness may be most happily maintained and se-
cured"— I set myself with cheerfulness to recollect and
digest the hints which I then gave you ; hoping it may be
of some service to you in your most important interests ;
and may also fix on my own mind a deeper sense of my ob-
ligations to govern my own life by the rules I offer to
others. I esteem attempts of this kind among the plea-
santest fruits, and the surest cements of friendship, and,
as I hope ours will last for ever, I am persuaded a mutual
care to cherish sentiments of this kind will add everlasting
endearments to it.

2. The directions you will expect from me on this oc-
casion, naturally divide themselves into three heads : How
we are to regard God in the beginning ; the progress ;
and the close of the day. I will open my heart freely to
you with regard to each, and will leave you to judge how
far these hints may suit your circumstances ; aiming at
least to keep between the extremes of a superstitious
strictness in trifles, and an indolent remissness, which, if
admitted in little things, may draw after it criminal neglects,
and at length more criminal indulgences.

3. In the beginning of the day : It should certainly bt

162 DAILY DEVOTIONS. ( Ch. 19.

our care to lift up our hearts to God, as soon as we wake,
and while we are rising; and then, to set ourselves seri-
ously and immediately to the secret devotions of the morn-
ing.

4. For the first of these it seems exceedingly natural
There are so many things that may suggest a great variety
of pious reflections and ejaculations, which are so obvious,
that one would think a serious mind could hardly miss
them. The ease and cheerfulness of our mind on our first
awaking; the refreshment we find from sleep; the security
we have enjoyed in that defenceless state; the provision
of warm and decent apparel ; the cheerful light of the re-
turning sun ; or even (which is not unfit to mention to you)
the contrivances of art, taught and furnished by the great
Author of all our conveniences, to supply us with many
useful hours of life in the absence of the sun ; the hope of
returning to the dear society of our friends; the prospect
of spending another day in the service of God, and the im-
provement of our own minds ; and, above all, the lively
nope of a joyful resurrection to an eternal dey of happiness
and glory : any of these particulars, and many more which
I do not mention, may furnish us with matter of pleasing
reflection, and cheerful praise, while we are rising. And
for our farther assistance, when we are alone at this time,
it may not be improper to speak sometimes to ourselves,
and sometimes to our heavenly Father, in the natural ex-
pressions of joy and thankfulness. Permit me, Sir, to
add, that, if we find our hearts in such a frame at our first
awaking, even that is just matter of praise, and the rather,
as perhaps it is an answer to the prayer with which we
lay down.

5. For the exercise of secret devotion in the morning,
which I hope will generally be our first work, I cannot
prescribe an exact method to another. You must, my dear
friend, consult your own taste in some measure. The
constituent parts of the service are, in the general, plain.
Were I to propose a particular model for those who have
half or three quarters of an hour at command, which, with
prudent conduct, I suppose most may have, it should be
this:

6. To begin the stated devotions of the day with a so-
lemn act of praise, off'ered to God on our knees, and ge-
nerally with a low, yet distinct voice; acknowledging the

Ch. 19.] DAILY DEVOTIONS. 163

mercies we have been reflecting on while rising, never for-
getting to mention Christ as the great foundation of all our
enjoyments and our hopes, or to return thanks for the in-
fluences of the blessed Spirit, which have led our hearts
to God, or are then engaging us to seek him. This, as
well as other offices of devotion afterwards mentioned,
must be done attentively and sincerely ; for not to offer
our praises heartily, is, in the sight of God, not to praise
him at all. This address of praise may properly be con-
cluded with an express renewal of our dedication to God,
declaring our continued repeated resolution of being de-
voted to him, and particularly of living to his glory the en-
suing day.

7. It may be proper, after this, to take a prospect of the
day before us, so far as we can probably foresee, in the
general, where and how it maybe spent; and seriously to
reflect, " How shall I employ myself for God this day ?
What business is to be done, and in what order ? What
opportunities may I expect, either of doing or of receiving
good ? What temptations am I likely to be assaulted with,
in any place, company, or circumstances, which may pro-
bably occur ? In what instances have I lately failed? And
how shall I be safest now ?>'

8. After this review it will be proper to off'er up a short
prayer, begging that God would quicken us to each of
these foreseen duties ; that he would fortify us against
each of these apprehended dangers ; that he would grant
us success in such or such a business undertaken for his
glory ; and also that he would help us to discover and im-
prove unforeseen opportunities, to resist unexpected temp-
tations, and to bear patiently, and religiously, any afflic-
tions which may surprise us in the day on which we are
entering.

9. I would advise you after this to read some portion of
scripture : not a great deal, nor the whole Bible in its
course ; but some select portions out of its most useful
parts, perhaps ten or twelve verses, not troubling yourself
much about the exact connexion, or other critical niceties
which may occur, though at other times I would recom-
mend them to your inquiry, as you have ability and oppor-
tunity, but considering them merely in a devotional and
practical view. Here take such instructions as readily

164 DAILY DEVOTIONS. [Ch. 19.

present themselves t» your thoughts, repeat tbem over to
your own conscience, and charge your heart religiously to
observe them, and act upon them, under a sense of the
divine authority which attends them. And if you pray
over the substance of this scripture with your Bible open
before you, it may impress your memory and your heart
yet more deeply, and may form you to a copiousness and
variety, both of thought and expression, in prayer.

10. It might be proper to close these devotions with a
psalm or hymn ; and I rejoice with you, that through the
pious care of our sacred poets, we are provided with so
rich a variety for the assistance of the closet and family on
these occasions, as well as for the service of the sanctuary.

11. The most material directions which have occurred
to me relating to the progress of the day, are these : That
we be serious in the devotions of the day ; that we be di-
ligent in the business of it, that is, in the prosecution of
our worldly callings ; that we be temperate and prudent
in the recreations of it; that we carefully mark the provi-
dences of the day ; that we cautiously guard against the
temptations of it; that we keep up a lively and humble
dependence upon the divioe influence, suitable to every
emergency of it; that wc govcm our thoughts well in the
solitude of the day, and our discourses well in the conver-
sations of it. These, Sir, were the heads of a sermon
which you have lately heard me preach, and to which I
know you referred in that request which I am now en-
deavouring to answer. I will therefore touch upon the
most material hints, which fall under each of these parti-
culars.

12. For seriousness in devotion, whether public or do-
mestic, let us take a few moments before we enter upon
such solemnities, to pause, and reflect on the perfections
of the God we are addressing, on the importance of the
business we are coming about, on the pleasure and ad-
vantage of a regular and devout attendance, and on the guilt
and folly of an hypocritical formality. When engaged,
let us maintain a strict watchfulness over our own spirits,
and check the first wanderings of thought. And when the
duty is over, let us immediately reflect on the manner in
which it has been performed, and ask our own conscien-
ces whether we have reason to conclude that we are ac-

Ch.*19.] DAILY DEVOTIONS. 165

cepted of God in it? For there is a certain manner of
going through these offices, which our own hearts will
immediately tell us, " it is impossible for God to approve;"
and if we have inadvertently fallen into it, we ought to be
deeply humbled before God for it, lest " our very prayer
become sin.'^ Psal. cix. 7.

13. As for the hours of worldly business, whether it be
that of the hands, or the labour of a learned life not im-
mediately relating to religious matters ; let us set to the
prosecution of it with a sense of God's authority, and with
a regard to his glory. Let us avoid a dreaming, sluggish,
indolent temper, which nods over its work, and does only
the business of one hour in two or three. In opposition
to this, which runs through the life of some people, who
yet think they are never idle, let us endeavour to aespatch
as much as we well can in a little time; considering, that
it is but a little we have in all. And let us be habitually
sensible of the need we have of the divine blessing, to
make our labours successful.

14. For seasons of diversion, let us take care, that oui
recreations be well chosen; that they be pursued with a
good intention, to fit us for a renewed application to the
labours of life ; and thus that they be only used in subor-
dination to tne honour ot God, the great end of all our ac-
tions. Let us take heed, that our hearts be not estranged
from God by them ; and that they do not take up too much
of our time ; always remembering, that the faculties of hu-
man nature, and the advantages of the Christian revela-
tion, were not given us in vain ; but that we are always
to be in pursuit of some great and honourable end, and to
indulge ourselves in amusements and diversions no farther,
than as they make a part in a scheme of rational and manly,
benevolent and pious conduct.

15. For the observation of Providence ; it will be use-
ful to regard the divine interposition in our comforts and
in our afflictions. In our comforts, whether more common
or extraordinary: that we find ourselves in continued health;
that we are furnished with food for support and pleasure ;
that we have so many agreeable ways of employing our
time ; that we have so many friends, and those so good,
and so happy; that our business goes on so prosperously;
that we go out and come in safely ; and that we enjoy com-

166 PROGRESS OF THE DAY. fCh. 19.

posure and cheerfulness of spirit, without which nothing
else could be enjoyed : all these should be regarded as
providential favours ; and due acknowledgments should be
made to God on these accounts, as we pass through such
agreeable scenes. On the other hand, Providence is to be
regarded in every disappointment, in every loss, in every
pain, in every instance of unkindness from those who have
professed friendship ; and we should endeavour to argue
ourselves into a patient submission, from this considera-
tion, that the hand of God is always mediately, if not im-
mediately, in each of them ; and that, if they are not pro-
perly the work of Providence, they are at least under his
direction. It is a reflection, which we should particularly
make with relation to those little cross accidents, (as we
are ready to call them,) and those infirmities and follies in
the temper and conduct of our intimate friends, which may
else be ready to discompose us. And it is the more ne-
cessary to guard our minds here, as wise and good men
often lose the command of themselves on these compara-
tively little occasions ; who, calling up reason and religion
to their assistance, stand the shock of great calamities with
fortitude and resolution.

16. For watchfulness against temptations, it is necessary,
when changing our place, or our employment, to reflect,
" What snares attended me here? And as this should be
our habitual care, so we should especially guard against
those snares which in the morning we foresaw. And
when we are entering on those circumstances in which we
expected the assault, we should reflect, especially if it be
a matter of great importance, " Now the combat is going
to begin : now God and the blessed angels are observing,
what constancy, what fortitude there is in my soul, and
how far the divine authority, and the remembrance of my
own prayers and resolutions, will weigh with me, when it
comes to a trial."

17. As for dependence on divine grace and influence, it
must be universal ; and since we always need it, we must
never forget that necessity. A moment spent in humble
fervent breathings after the communications of the divine
assistance, may do more good than many minutes spent in
mere reasonings ; and though indeed this should not be
neglected, since the light of reason is a kind of divine illu-

Ch. 19.] DAILY DEVOTIONS, 167

mination, yet still it ought to be pursued in a due sense of
our dependence on the Father of Lights, or where we
think ourselves wisest, we may " become vain in our
imaginations," Rom. i. 21, 22. Let us therefore always
call upon God, and say, for instance, when we are going
to pray, " Lord, fix my attention ! Awaken my holy affec-
tions, and pour out upon me the spirit of grace and of sup-
plication !" Zee. xii. 10. When taking up a Bible or any
other good book, " Open thou mine eyes, that I may be-
hold wondrous things out of thy law ! Psal. cxix. 18.
Enlighten my understanding! Warm my heart ! May my
good resolutions be confirmed, and all the course of my
life be in a proper manner regulated !" When addressing
ourselves to any worldly business, " Lord, prosper thou
the work of mine hands upon me, (Psalm xc. 17.) and
give thy blessing to my honest endeavours !" When going
to any kind of recreation, " Lord, bless my refreshments !
Let me not forget thee in them, but still keep thy glory in
view !" When coming into company, " Lord, may I do,
and get good ! Let no corrupt communication proceed out
of my mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying,
that it may minister grace to the hearers !" Eph. iv. 29.
When entering upon diificulties, " Lord, give me that wis-
dom, which is profitable to direct !" Eccles. x. 10. "Teach
me thy way, and lead me in a plain path !" Psalm xxvii.
11. When encountering with temptations, "Let thy
strength, 0 gracious Redeemer, be made perfect in my
weakness!" 2 Cor. xii. 9. These instances may illus-
trate the design of this direction, though they may be far
from a complete enumeration of all the circumstances in
which it is to be regarded.

18. For the government of our thoughts in solitude : let
us accustom ourselves, on all occasions, to exercise a due
command over our thoughts. Let us take care of those
entanglements of passion, and those attachments to any
present interest in view, which would deprive uts of our
power over them. Let us set before us some profitable
subject of thought : such as the perfections of the blessed
God, the love of Christ, the value of time, the certainty
and importance of death and judgment, and the eternity of
happiness or misery which is to follow. Let us also, at
such inteiTals, reflect on what we have observed as to the

168 DA.ILV DEVOTIONS. [Ch. 19

state of our own souls, with regard to the advance or de-
cline of religion ; or on the last sermon we have heard, or
the last portion of scripture we have read. You may per-
haps, in this connexion. Sir, recollect what I have, if I
remember right, proposed to you in conversation ; that it
might be very useful to select some one verse of scripture
which we had met with in the morning, and to treasure it
up in our mind, resolving to think of that at any time when
we are at a loss for matter of pious reflection, in any inter-
vals of leisure for entering upon it. This will often be
as a spring from whence many profitable and delightful
thoughts may rise, which perhaps we did not before
see in that connexion and force. Or if it should not be
so, yet I am persuaded it will be much better to repeat the
same scripture in our mind a hundred times in a day, with
some pious ejaculation formed upon it, than to leave our
thoughts at the mercy of all those various trifles, which
may otherwise intrude upon us; the variety of which will
be far from making amends for their vanity.

19. Lastly, for the government of our discourse in com-
pany. We should take great care, that nothing may es-
cape us, which can expose us, or our Christian profession,
to censure and reproach ; nothing injurious to those that
are absent, or those that are present ; nothing malignant,
nothing insincere, nothing which may corrupt, nothing
which may provoke, nothing which may mislead those
about us. Nor should we by any means be content, that
what we say is innocent : it should be our desire, that it
may be edifying to ourselves and others. In this view, we
should endeavour to have some subject of useful discourse
always ready ; in which we may be assisted by the hints
given about furniture for thought, under the former head.
We should watch for decent opportunities of introducing
useful reflections ; and if a pious friend attempt to do it,
we should endeavour to second it immediately. W^hen
the conversation does not turn directly on religious sub-
jects, we should endeavour to make it improving some
other way ; we should reflect on the character and capa-
cities of our company, that we may lead them to talk of
what they understand best; for their discourses on those
subjects will probably be most pleasant to themselves, as
well as most useful to us. And in pauses of discourse, it

Cb. 19.] EVENING DEVOTIONS, 169

may not be improper to lift up a holy ejaculation to God,
that his grace may assist us and o'ur friends in our endea-
vours to do good to each other ; that all we say and do
may be worthy the character of reasonable creatures and
of Christians.

20. The directions for a religious closing of the day
which 1 shall here mention, are only two : Let us see to
it, that the secret duties of the evening be well performed j
and let us lie down on our beds in a pious frame.

21. For the secret devotion in the evening, I would
propose a method something different from that in the
morning; but &til!, as then, with due allowances for cir-
cumstances, which may make unthought-of alterations
proper. I should advise to read a portion of scripture in
the first place, with suitable reflections and prayer, as
above ; then to read a hymn, or psalm ; after this to enter
on self-examination, to be followed by a longer prayer
than that which followed reading, to be formed on this re-
view of the day. In this address to the throne of grace,
it will be highly proper to entreat that God would pardon
the omissions and offences of the day; to praise him for
mercies temporal and spiritual ; to recommeud ourselves
to his protection for the ensuing night; with proper peti-
tions for others, whom we ought to bear on our hearts be-
fore him ; and particularly for those friends with whom
we have conversed or corresponded in the preceding day.
Many other concerns will occur, both in morning and even-
ing prayer, which I have not here hinted at; but I did not
apprehend that a full enumeration of these things belonged,
by any means, to our present purpose.

22. Before I quit this head, I must take the liberty to
remind you, that self-examination is so important a duty,
that it will be worth our while to spend a few words upon
it. And this branch of it is so easy, that, when we have
proper questions before us, any person of a coQimon un-
derstanding may hope to go through it with advantage un-
der a divine blessing. I offer you therefore the following
queries, which I hope you will, with such alterations as
you may judge requisite, keep near you for daily use.
" Did I awake as with God this morning, and rise with a
grateful sense of his goodness r How were the secret de-
votions of the morning performed r Did I offer my solemn

170 EVENING DEVOTIONS. [Ch. 19.

praises, and renew the dedication of myself to God, with
becoming attention and*suitable affections ? Did I lay my
scheme for the business of the day wisely and well? How
did I read the Scriptures, and any other devotional or
practical piece, v/hich I afterwards ibund it convenient to
review ? Did it do my heart good, or was it a mere amuse-
ment ? How have the other stated devotions of the day
been attended, whether in the family or in public ? Have
I pursued the common business of the day with diligence
and spirituality, doing every thing in season, and with all
convenient despatch, and as ' unto the Lord ?' Col. iii. 23.
What time have I lost this day, in tiie morning, or the
forenoon, in the afternoon, or the evening? " for these di-
visions will assist your recollection ;" and what has oc-
casioned the loss of it ? With what temper, and under
what regulations, have the recreations of this day been
pursued ? Have I seen the hand of God in my mercies,
health, cheerfulness, food, clothing, books, preservation in
journies, success of business, conversation, and kindness of
friends, &c. ? Have I seen it in afflictions, and particularly
in little things, which had a tendency to vex and disquiet
me? Have I received my comforts thankfully, and my
afflictions submissively ? How have I guarded against the
temptations of the day, particularly against this or that
temptation, which I foresaw in the morning ? Have I
maintained a dependence on divine influence ? Have I
' lived by faith on the Son of God,' (Gal. ii. 20.) and re-
garded Christ this day as my teacher and governor, my
atonement and intercessor, my example and guardian, my
strength and forerunner ? Have I been looking forward
to death and eternity this day, and considered myself as a
probationer for heaven, and through grace an expectant of
it? Have I governed my thoughts well, especially in such
or such an interval of solitude ? How was my subject of
thought this day chosen, and how was it regarded ? Have
I governed ray discourses well, i»n such and such company?
Did I say nothing passionate, mischievous, slanderous, im-
prudent, impertinent ? Has my heart this day been full of
love to God, and to all m.ankind ? and have I sought, and
found, and improved, opportunities of doing and of get-
ting good? With wh?/: attention and improvement have I
read the scripture this evening? How was self-examina-

Ch. 19.] EVENING DEVOTIONS. 171

tion performed the last night ? and how have I profited
this day by any remarks I then made on former negligen-
ces and mistakes ? With what temper did I then lie down,
and compose myself to sleep ?"

23. You will easily see, Sir, that these questions are so
adjusted, as to be an abridgment of the most material ad-
vice I have given in this letter; and I believe I need not,
to a person of your understanding, say any thing as to the
usefulness of such inquiries. Conscience will answer them
in a few minutes ; but if you think them too large and par-
ticular, you may make still a shorter abstract for daily use,
and reserve these, with such obvious alteration as will then
be necessary for seasons of more than ordinary exactness
in review, which I hope will occur at least once a- week.
Secret devotion being thus performed, before drowsiness
render us unfit for it, the interval between that and our
going to rest must be conducted by the rules mentioned
under the next head. And nothing will farther remain to
be considered here, but,

24. The sentiments with which we should lie down and
compose ourselves to sleep. Now here it is obviously
suitable to think of the divine goodness, in adding another
day, and the mercies of it, to the former days and mercies of
our life ; to take notice of the indulgence of Providence in
giving us commodious habitations and easy beds, and con-
tinuing to us such health of body that we can lay ourselves
down at ease upon them, and such serenity of mind as
leaves us any room to hope for refreshing sleep ; a refresh-
ment to be sought, not merely as an indulgence to animal
nature, but as what our wise Creator, in order to keep us
liumble in the midst of so many infirmities, has been pleas-
ed to make necessary to our being able to pursue his ser-
vice with renewed alacrity. Thus may our sleeping, as
well as our waking hours, be in some sense devoted to
God. And when we are just going to resign ourselves to
the image of death, to what one of the ancients beautifully
calls " its lesser mysteries," it is also evi-dently proper to
think seriously of that end of all the living, and to renew
those actings of repentance and faith, which we should

i'udge necessary if we were to wake no more here. You
lave once, Sir, seen a meditation of that kind in my hand:
I will transcribe it for you in tlie postscript; and therefore

172 EVENING DEVOTIONS. [Cfl. 19

shall add no more to this head, but here put a close to the
directions you desired.

25. I am persuaded the most important of them have,
in one form or another, been long regarded by you, and
made governing maxims of your life. I shall greatly re-
joice, if the review of these, and the examination and trial
of the rest, may be the means of leading you into more in-
timate communion with God, and so of rendering your life
more pleasant and useful, and your eternity, whenever that
is to commence, more glorious. There is not a human
creature upon earth, whom I should not delight to serve
in these important interests; but I can faithfully assure
you, that I am, with particular respect.

Dear Sir,
Your very affectionate friend and servant.

26. This, reader, with the alteration of a very few words,
is the letter I wrote to a worthy friend, (now I doubt not
with God,) about sixteen years ago; and I can assuredly
say, that the experience of each of these years has con-
firmed me in these views, and established me in the per-
suasion, that one day thus spent is far preferable to whole
years of sensuality, and the neglect of religion. I chose to
insert the letter as it is, because I thought the freedom and
particularity of the advice I had given in it would appear
most natural in its original form; and as I propose to en-
force these counsels in the next chapter, I shall conclude
this with that meditation, which I promised my friend as
a postscript; and which 1 could wish you to make so fa-
miliar to yourself, as that you may be able to recollect the
substance of it, whenever you compose yourself to sleep.

A serious view of death, proper to be taken as ivc lie down
on our beds.

" O my soul I look forward a little with seriousness and
attention, and learn wisdom by the consideration of thy
latter end, Deut. xxii. 29. Another of thy mortal days is
now numbered and finished; and as I have put off my
clothes, and laid myself upon my bed for the repose of the
night; so will the day of life quickly come to its period,
so must the body itself be put off and laid to its repose in
a bed of dust. There let it rest j for it will be no more

Ch. 19.] EVENING DEVOTIONS. 173

regarded by me, than the clothes which I have now laid
aside. I have another far more important concern to at-
tend. Think, 0 ray soul ! when death comes, thou art to
enter upon the eternal world, and to be iixed either in
heaven or in hell. All the schemes and cares, the hopes
and fears, the pleasures and sorrows of life, will come to
Iheir period, and the world of spirits will open upon thee.
And oh ! how soon may it open ! Perhaps before the re-
turning sun bring on the light of another day. To-mor-
row's sun may not enlighten my eyes, but only shine round
a senseless corpse, which may lie in the place of this ani-
mated body. At least the death of many in the flower of
their age, and many who were superior to me in capacity,
piety, and the prospects of usefulness, may loudly warn me
not to depend on a long life, and engage me rather to won-
der that I am continued here so many years, than to be
{surprised if I am speedily removed.

"And now, 0 my soul ! answer as in the sight of God,
Art thou ready ? Art thou ready ? Is there no sin unfor-
saken, and so unrepented of, to fill me with anguish in my
departing moments, and to make me tremble on the brink
of eternity ? Dread to remain under the guilt of it, and this
moment renew thy most earnest applications to the mercy
of God, and the blood of a Redeemer, for deliverance
from it.

' " But if the great account be already adjusted, if thou
hast cordially repented of thy numerous offences, if thou
hast sincerely committed thyself, by faith, into the hands
of the blessed Jesus, and hast not renounced thy covenant
with him, by returning to the allowed practice of sin, then
start not at the thought of a separation ; it is not in the
power of death to hurt a soul devoted to God, and united
to the great Redeemer. It may take from me my worldly
comforts, it may disconcert and break my schemes for
service on earth; but, O my soul, diviner entertainments
and nobler services ' wait thee beyond the grave !' For
ever blessed be the name of God and the love of Jesus,
for these quieting, encouraging, joyful views ! I will now
lay me down in peace, and sleep, (Psal. iv. 8.) free from
the fears of what shall be the issue of this night, whether
life or death be appointed for me. Father, into thy hands
I commend ray spirit, (Luke xxiii. 46.) for thou hast re-

174 DEVOTION TO GOD URGED. [Ch. 20.

deemed me, O God of truth ! (Psalm xxxi. 5.) and there-
fore I can cheerfully refer it to thy choice, whether I shall
wake in this world or another."

CHAPTER XX.

A SERIOUS PERSUASIVE TO SUCH A METHOD OF SPENDING OUR DAM
AS IS REPRESENTED IN THE FORMER CHAPTER.

1. 2. Christians fix their vieivs too low, and indulge foo indolent «
disposition, which makes it more necessary to urge such a life as
that under consideration. — 3. It is therefore enforced, from its be-
ing apparently reasonable, considering ourselves as the creatures
of God, and as redeemed by the blood of Christ. — 4. From its evi-
dent tendency to conduce to our comfort in life. — 5. From the in-
fluence it will have to projnote our usefulness to others. — 6. From
its efficacy to make afflictions lighter. — 7. From its happy aspect on
death. — 8. And on eternity. — 9. Whereas not to desire improve-
ment would argue a soul destitute of religion. A prayer suited to
the state of a soul who longs to attain the life recommended above.

I. I nave been assigning, in the preceding chapter,
what, I fear, will seem to some of my readers so hard a
task, that they will want courage to attempt it ; and in-
deed it is a life in many respects so far above that of the
generality of Christians, that I am not without apprehen-
sions, that many, who deserve the name, may think the
directions, after all the precautions with which 1 have pro-
posed them, are carried to an unnecessary degree of nicety
and strictness. But I am persuaded, much of the credit and
comfort of Christianity is lost, in consequence of its profes-
sors fixing their aims too low, and not conceiving of their
high and holy calling in so elevated and sublime a view as
the nature of religion would require, and the word of God
would direct. I am fully convinced, that the expressions
of " walking with God," of " being in the fear of the Lord
all the day long," (Prov. xxiii. 17.) and, above all, that of
^Moving the Lord our God with all our heart, and soul, and
mind, and strength," (Mark xii. 30.) must require, if not
all these circumstances, yet the substance of all that I have
been recommending, so far as we have capacity, leisure,
and opportunity ; and I cannot but think, that many might
command more of the latter, and perhaps improve their ca-

Ch. 20.] DEVOTION TO GOD URGED. 175

pacities too, if they would take a due care in the govern-
ment of themselves ; if they would give up vain and unne-
cessary diversions, and certain indulgences, which only suit
and delight the lower part of our nature, and, to say the best
of them, deprive us of pleasures much better than themselves,
if they do not plunge us into guilt. Many of these rules
would appear easily practicable, if men would learn to
know the value of time, and particularly to redeem it from
unnecessary sleep, which wastes many golden hours of the
day : hours in which many of God's servants are delighting
themselves in him, and drinking in full draughts of the
water of life ; while these their brethren are slumbering
upon their beds, and lost in vain dreams, as far belov/
the common entertainments of a rational creature, as the
pleasures of the sublimest devotion are above them.

2. I know likewise, that the mind is very fickle and
inconstant, and that it is a hard thing to preserve such a
government and authority over our thoughts, as would be
very desirable, and as the plan I have laid down will re-
quire. But so much of the honour of God, and so much
of our true happiness, depends upon it, that I beg you
will give me a patient and attentive hearing while I am
pleading with you, and that you will seriously examine
the arguments, and then judge, whether a care and con-
duct like that which I have advised be not in itself rea-
sonable, and whether it will not be highly conducive to
your comfort and usefulness in life, your peace in death,
and the advancement and increase of your eternal glory.

3. Let conscience say, whether such a life as I have
described above be not in itself highly reasonable. Look
over the substance of it again, and bring it under a close
examination ; for I am very apprehensive that some weak
objections may rise against the whole, which may in their
consequence affect particulars, against which no reasona-
ble man would presume to make any objection at all.
Recollect, 0 Christian ! and carry it with you in your me-
mory and your heart, while you are pursuing this review,
that you are the creature of God ;' that you are purchased
with the blood of Jesus ; and then say, whether these re-
lations in which you stand do not demand all that applica-
tion and resolution which I would engage you to. Sup-
pose all the counsels I have given you reduced into prac-

176 DEVOTION TO GOD URGED. [Ch. 20.

tice ; suppose every day begun and concluded with such
devout breathings after God, and such holy retirements
for morning and evening converse with him and with your
own heart; suppose a daily care, in contriving how your
time may be managed, and in reflecting how it has been
employed; suppose this regard to God, this sense of his
presence, and zeal for his glory, to run through your acts
of worship, your hours of business and recreation ; suppose
this attention to Providence, this guard against temptations,
this dependence upon divine influence, this government of
the thoughts in solitude, and of the discourse in company ;
nay, I will add farther, suppose every particular direction
given to be pursued, excepting when particular cases oc-
cur, with respect to which you shall be able in conscience
to say, " I wave it not from indolence and carelessness,
but because I think it will be just now more pleasing to
God to be doing something else," which may often happen
in human life, where general rules are best concerted :
suppose, I say, all this to be done, not for a day or a week,
but through the remainder of life, whether longer or shor-
ter ; and suppose this to be reviewed at the close of life,
m iiie full exercise of your rational faculties ; will there be
reason to say in the reflection : " I have taken too much
pains in religion ; the Author of my being did not deserve
all this from me ; less diligence, less fidelity, less zeal than
this, might have been an equivalent for the blood which
was shed for my redemption. A part of my heart, a part
of my time, a part of my labours, might have sufliced for
him, who hath given me all my powers; for him who hath
delivered me from that destruction, which would have
made them my everlasting torment ; for him who is raising
me to the regions of a blissful immortality." Can you with
any face say this ? If you cannot, then surely your con-
science bears witness, that all I have recommended, under
the limitations above, is reasonable ; that duty and gratitude
requir-2 it; and consequently, that, by every allowed failure
in it, you bring guilt Aipon your own soul, you off'end God,
and act unworthy of your Christian profession.

4. I entreat you farther to consider, whether such a con-
duct as I have now been recommending, would not con-
duce much to your comfort and usefulness in life. Reflect
seriously what is true happiness ! Does it consist in dis-

Ch. 20.] DEVOTION TO GOD URGED. 177

tance from God, or in nearness to bim ? Surely you cannot
be a Cbristian, surely you cannot be a rational man, if you
doubt whether communion with the great Father of our
spirits be a pleasure and felicity ; and if it be, then surely
they enjoy most of it, who keep liim most constantly in
view. You cannot but know^, in your own conscience,
that it is this which makes the happiness of heaven ; and
therefore the more of it any man enjoys upon earth, the
more of heaven comes down into his soul. If you have
made any trial of religion, though it be but a few months
or weeks since you first became acquainted with it, you
must be some judge, from your own experience, which have
been the most pleasant days of your life. Have they not
been those in which you have acted most upon these prin-
ciples ? those in which you have most steadily and reso-
lutely carried them through every hour of time, and every
circumstance of life ? The check wdiich you must, in ma-
ny instances, give to your own inclinations, might seem
disagreeable ; but it would surely be overbalanced, in a
most happy manner, by the satisfaction you would find in a
consciousness of self-government ; in having such a com-
mand of your thoughts, affections, and actions, as is much
more glorious than any authority over others can be.

5. I would also entreat you to consider the influence
which such a conduct as this might have upon the happi-
ness of others. And it is easy to be seen, that it must be
very great ; as you would find your heart always disposed
to watch every opportunity of doing good, and to seize it
with eagerness and delight. It would engage you to make
it the study and business of your life?, to order things in such
a manner, that the end of one kind and useful action might
be the beginning of another ; in which you would go on as
naturally as the inferior animals do in those productions and
actions by which mankind are relieved or enriched ; or as
the earth bears her successive crops of different vegetable
supplies. And though mankind be, in this corrupt state,
so unhappily inclined to imitate evil examples rather than
good, yet it may be expected, that, while "your light shines
before men," some, "seeing your good works,'' will en-
deavour to transcribe them in their own lives, and so to
"glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matt. v. 16.
The charm of such beautiful models would surely impress

378 DEVOTION TO GOD URGED- [Ch. 20.

some, and incline them at least to attempt an imitation ;
and every attempt would dispose to another. And thus,
through the divine goodness, you might be entitled to a
share in the praise, and the reward, not only of the good
you had immediately done yourself, but likewise of that
which you had engaged others to do. And no eye, but
that of the all-searching God, can see into what distant
times or places the blessed consequences may reach. In
every instance in which these consequences appear, it will
put a generous and sublime joy into your heart which no
worldly prosperity could afford, and which would be the
liveliest emblem of that high delight which the blessed
God feels in seeing and making his creatures happy.

6. It is true indeed, that amidst all these pious and be-
nevolent cares, afflictions may come, and in some measure
interrupt you in the midst of your, projected schemes. But
surely these afflictions will be much lighter, when your
heart is gladdened with the peaceful and joyful reflections
of your own mind, and with so honourable a testimony of
conscience before God and man. Delightful will it be to
go back to past scenes in your pleasing review, and to
think that you have not only been sincerely humbling
yourself for those past offences, which afflictions may
bring to your remembrance ; but that you have given sub-
stantial proofs of the sincerity of that humiliation, by a real
reformation of what has been amiss, and by acting with
strenuous and vigorous resolution on the contrary princi-
ple. And while converse with God, and doing good to
men, are made the great business and pleasure of life, you
will find a thousand opportunities of enjoyment, even in
the midst of these afflictions, which would render you so
incapable of relishing the pleasures of sense, that the very
mention of them might, in those circumstances, seem an
insult and a reproach.

7. At length death will come, that solemn and import-
ant hour, which has been passed through by so many
thousands who have in the main lived such a life, and by
80 many millions who have neglected it. And let cou-
Fcience say, if there was ever one of all these millions,
who had any reason to rejoice in that neglect ; or any one,
among the most strict and exemplary Christians, who then
lamented that his heart and life had been too zealously

Ch. 20.1 DEVOTION TO GOD URGED. 179

devoted to God. Let conscience say, whether they have
wished to have a part of that time, which they have thus
employed, given back to them again, that they might be
more conformed to this world ; that they might plunge
themselves deeper into its amusements, or pursue its ho-
nours, its possessions, or its pleasures, with greater eager-
ness than they had done. If you were yourself dying, and
a dear friend or child stood near you, and this book and
the preceding chapter should chance to come into your
thoughts, would you caution that friend or child against
conducting himself by such rules as I have advanced?
The question may perhaps seem unnecessary, where the
answer is so plain and certain. Well, then, let me be-
seech you to learn how you should live, by reflecting how
you would die, and what course you would wish to look
back upon, when you are just quitting this world and en-
tering upon another. Think seriously; what if death
should surprise you on a sudden, and you should be called
into eternity at an hour's or a minute's warning, would you
not wish that your last day should have been thus begun ;
and the course of it, if it were a day of health and activity,
should have been thus managed ? Would you not wish
that your Lord should find you engaged in such thoughts
and such pursuits ? Would not the passage, the flight from
earth to heaven, be most easy, most pleasant, in this view
and connexion ? And, on the other hand, if death should
make more gradual approaches, would not the remem-
brance of such a pious, holy, humble, diligent, and useful
life, make a dying bed much softer and easier than it would
otherwise be ? You would not die, depending upon these
things. God forbid that you should ! Sensible of your
many imperfections, you would, no doubt, desire to throw
yourself at the feet of Christ, that you might appear before
God, " adorned with his righteousness, and washed from
your sins in his blood." You would also, with your dying
breath, ascribe to the riches of his grace every good dispo-
sition you had found in your heart, and every worthy action
jou had been enabled to perform. But would it not give
you a delight, worthy of being purchased with ten thou-
sand worlds, to reflect, that his " grace, bestowed on you,
had not been in vain," (1 Cor. xv. 10.) but that you had,
from a humble principle of grateful love, ' glorified your

180 DEVOTION TO GOD URGED. [Ch. 20.

heavenly Father on earth, and, in some degree, though not
with the perfection you could desire, " finished the work
which he had given you to do :" (John, xvii. 4.) that you
had been living for many past years as on the l3crders of
heaven, and endeavouring to form your heart and life to
the temper and manners of its inhabitants r

8. And once more, let me entreat you to reflect on the
view you will have of this matter when you come into a
world of glory, if (which I hope will be the happy case)
divine mercy conduct you thither ! Will not your reception
there be affected by your care, or negligence, in this holy
course ? Will it appear an indifferent thing in the eye of
the blessed Jesus, who distributes the crowns, and allots
the thrones there, whether you have been among the most
zealous, or the most indolent of his servants ? Surely you
must wish to have " an entrance administered unto you
abundantly into the kingdom of your Lord and Saviour,''
(2 Pet. i. 11.) and what can more certainly conduce to it,
than to be *' always abounding in this work?" 1 Cor. xv.
58. You cannot think so meanly of that glorious state, as
to imagine that you shall there look round about with a
secret disappointment, and say in your heart, that you
over-valued the inheritance you have received, and pur-
sued it with too much earnestness. You will not surely
complain, that it had too many of your thoughts and cares ;
but, on the contrary, you have the highest reason to be-
lieve, that, if any thing were capable of exciting your in-
dignation and your grief there, it would be, that, amidst
so many motives and so many advantages, you exerted
yourself no more in the prosecution of such a prize.

9. But I will not enlarge on so clear a case, and there-
fore conclude the chapter with reminding you, that to al-
low yourself deliberately to sit down satisfied with any im-
perfect attainments in religion, and to look upon a more
confirmed a-nd improved state of it as what you do not de-
sire, may, as what you sincerely resolve that you will not
pursue, is one of the most fatal signs we can well imagine,
that you are an entire stranger to the first principles of it.

Ch. 20.] DEVOTION TO GOD URGED. 181

A Prayer suited to the State of a Soul, who desires to attain the
Life above recommended.

" Blessed God ! I cannot contradict the force of these
reasonings : 0 that I may feel more than ever the lasting
effects of them ! Thou art the great fountain of being and
of happiness ; and as from thee my being was derived, so
from thee my happiness directly flows ; and the nearer I
am to thee, the purer and more delicious is the stream.
' With thee is the fountain of life ; in thy light may I see
light !' Psal. xxxvi. 9. The great object of my final hope
is to dwell for ever with thee. Give me now some fore-
taste of that delight ! Give me, I beseech thee, to experi-
ence ' the blessedness of that man who feareth the Lord,
and who delighteth greatly in his commandments,' (Psal.
cxii. 1.) and so form my heart by thy grace, that 1 may

* be in the fear of the Lord all the day long.' Prov. xxiii. 17.

"To thee may my awakening thoughts be directed :
and with the first ray of light that visits my opening eyes,

* lift up, 0 Lord, the light of thy countenance upon me !'
Psal. iv. 6. When my faculties are roused from that
broken state in which they lay, while buried, and, as it
were, annihilated in sleep, may my first actions be conse-
crated to thee, O God, who givest me light ; who givest
me, as it were, every morning a new life and a new rea-
son ! Enable my heart to pour out itself before thee with
a filial reverence, freedom, and endearment! And may I
hearken to God, as I desire that he should hearken unto
me ! May thy word be read with attention and pleasure !
May my soul be delivered into the mould of it, and may I

* hide it in my heart, that I may not sin against thee !'
Psal. cxix. 11. Animated by the great motives there sug-
gested, may I every morning be renewing the dedication
of myself to thee, through Jesus Christ thy beloved Son ;
and be deriving from him new supplies of that blessed
Spirit of thine, whose influences are the life of my soul.

" And being thus prepared, do thou. Lord, lead me forth
by the hand to all the duties and events of the day ! In
that calling, wherein thou hast been pleased to call me,
may I abide with thee, (1 Cor. vii. 20.) not 'being sloth-
ful in business,' but 'fervent in spirit, serving the Lord !'
Rom. xii. 11. May I know the value of time, and always
improve it to the best advantage, in such duties as thou

Ifi2 DEVOTION TO GOD URGED. [Ch. 20.

Bast assigned me, how low soever they may seem, or how
painful soever they may be ! To thy glory, 0 Lord, may
the labours of life be pursued ; and to thy glory may the
refreshments of it be sought ! ' Whether I eat, or drink, or
whatever I do,' (1 Cor. x. 31.) may that end still be kept
in vie\v, and may it be attained ! And may every refresh-
ment, and release from business, prepare me to serve thee
with greater vigour and resolution !

" May my eye be watchful to observe the descent of
mercies from thee ; and may a grateful sense of thy hand
in them add a savour and relish to all ! And when afflic-
tions come, which in a world like this I would accustom
myself to expect, may I remember that they come from
thee; and may that fully reconcile me to them, while I
lirmly believe, that the same love which gives us our daily
bread, appoints us our daily crosses; which I would learn
to take up, that I may follow my dear Lord, (Mark, viii.
34.) with a temper like that which he manifested when
ascending Calvary for my sake : saying, like him, ' The
cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?^
John, xviii, 11. And when I 'enter into temptation,' do
thou. Lord, 'deliver me from evil.' Matt. vi. 13. Make
me sensible, I entreat thee, of my own weakness, that my
heart may be raised to thee for present communications of
proportionable strength. When I am engaged in the so-
ciety of others, may it be my desire and my care, that I
may do, and receive, as much good as possible ; and may
I continually answer the great purposes of life, by honour-
ing thee, and diffusing useful knowledge and happiness in
the world. And when I am alone, may I remember my
'heavenly Father is with me;' and may I enjoy the plea-
sure of thy presence, and feel the animating power of it,
awakening my soul to an earnest desire to think, and actj
as in thy sight !

" Thus let my days be spent; and let them always be
closed in thy fear, and under a sense of thy gracious pre-
sence. Meet me, O Lord, in my evening retirements.
May I choose the most proper time for them ; may I dili-
gently attend to reading and prayer; and when I review
my conduct, may I do it with an impartial eye. Let not
self-love spread a false colouring over it ; but may I judge
myself, as one that expects to be judged of the Lord, and

Ch. 21.] TEMPTATIONS TO BE RESISTED. 183

is very solicitous he may be approved by thee, who * search-
est all hearts,' and * canst not forget any of my works.*
Amos, viii. 7. * Let my prayer come before thee as in-
cense,' and ' let the lifting up of my hands be as the morn-
ing and the evening sacrifice.' Psal. cxli. 2. May I resign
my powers to sleep in sweet calmness and serenity; con-
scious that I have lived to God in the day, and cheerfully
persuaded that I am ' accepted of thee in Christ Jesus my
Lord,' and humbly ' hoping in thy mercy through him,'
whether my days on earth be prolonged, or ' the residue
of them be cut off in the midst.' Isaiah, xxxvii. 10. If
death comes by a leisurely advance, may it find me thus
employed ; and if I am called on a sudden to exchange
worlds, may my last days and hours be found to have been
conducted by such maxims as these ; that I may have a
sweet and easy passage from the services of time to the
infinitely nobler services of an immortal state. I ask it
through him, who, while on earth, was the fairest pattern
and example of every virtue and grace, and who now lives
and reigns with thee, ' able to save unto the uttermost :'
(Heb. vii. 25.) to him, having done all, I would fly, with
humble acknowledgment that I am an ^ unprofitable ser-
vant;' (Luke, xvii. 10.) * to him be glory for ever and
ever.' Amen."

CHAPTER XXI.

A CAITTION AGAINST VARIOUS TEMPTATIONS, BY WHICH THJ! TOWO
CONVERT MAY BE DRAWN ASIDE FROM THE COURSE RKCOMMENDEi>
ABOVE.

1. Dangers continue, after the first difficulties (considered Chap, xvi.'i
are broken through. — 2. Particular cautions — against a sluggish
and indolent tetnper. — 3. Against the excessive love of sensitive
pleasure. — 4. Leading to a neglect of business and needless expense,
— 5, Against the snares of vain company. — 6. Against excessive
hurry of worldly business. — 7, Which is enforced by the fatal con-
sequences these have had in many cases. — 8. The chapter concludes
with an exhortation to die to this world, and to live to another.
Jlnd the young ConverVs prayer for Divine protection against the
dangers arising from these snares.

1. The representation I have been making of the plea-
jrare and advantage of a life spent in devotedness to God

184 TEMPTATIONS TO BE RESISTED. [Ch. 21.

and communion with him, as I have described it above,
■vvill, I hope, engage you, my dear reader, to form some
purposes, and make some attempt to obtain it. But from
considering the nature, and observing the course of things,
it appears exceedingly evident, that, besides the general
opposition which I formerly mentioned as like to attend
you in your first entrance on a religious life, you will find,
even that, after you have resolutely broke through this, a
variety of hindrances in any attempts of exemplary piety,
and in the prosecution of a remarkably strict and edifying
course, will present themselves daily in your path ; and
whereas you may, by a few resolute efforts, baffle some of
the former sort of enemies, these v.iil be perpetually re-
newing their onsets, and a vigorous struggle must be con-
tinually maintained with them. Give me leave now, there-
fore, to be particular in my cautions against some of the
chief of them. And here I would insist upon the dilficul-
ties which will arise from indolence and the love of plea-
sure ; from vain company, and worldly cares. Each of these
may prove ensnaring to any, and especially to young per-
sons, to whom I would now have some particular regard.
2. I entreat you, therefore, in the first place, that you
will guard against a sluggish and indolent temper. The
love of ease insinuates itself into the heart under a variety
of plausible pretences, which are often allowed to pass,
when temptations of a grosser nature would not be admit-
ted. The mispending a little time seems to wise and good
men but a small matter; yet this sometimes runs them into
great inconveniencies. It often leads them to break in upon
the seasons regularly allotted to devotion, and to defer bu-
siness, which might immediately be done, but being put off
from day to day, is not done at all, and thereby the services
of life are at least diminished, and the rewards of eternity
diminished proportionably : not to insist upon it, that very
frequently this lays the soul open to farther temptations,
by which it falls, in consequence of being found unem-
ployed. Be therefore suspicious of the first approaches of
this kind. Remember that the soul of man is an active be-
ing, and that it must find its pleasure in activity. " Gird
up," therefore, "the loins of your mind." 1 Peter, i. 13.
Endeavour to keep yourself always well employed. Be
exact, if I may with humble reverence use the expression,

Ch. 21.] TEMPTATIONS TO BE RESISTED. 185

in your appointments with God. Meet him early in the
morning; and say not with the sluggard, when the proper
hour of rising is come, "A little more sleep, a little more
slumber." Prov. vi. 10. That time which prudence shall
advise you, give to conversation and to other recreations.
But when that is elapsed, and no unforeseen and impor-
tant engagement prevents, rise and begone. Quit the com-
pany of your dearest friends, and retire to your proper bu-
siness, whether it be in the field, the shop, or the closet.
For by acting contrary to the secret dictates of your mind,
as to what it is just at the present moment best to do,
though it be but in the manner of spending half an hour,
some degree of guilt is contracted, and a habit is cherished,
which may draw after it much worse consequences. Con-
sider, therefore, what duties are to be despatched, and in
what seasons. Form your plan as prudently as you can,
and pursue it resolutely; unless an unexpected incident
arises, which leads you to conclude, that duty calls you
another way. Allowances for such unthought-of interrup-
tions must be made ; but if, in consequence of this, you
^VQ obliged to omit any thing of importance Avhich you
proposed to have done to-day, do it if possible to-morrow ;
and do not cut yourself out new work, till the former plan
be despatched ; unless you really judge it, not merely more
amusing, but more important. And always remember, that
a servant of Christ should see to it, that he determine on
these occasions as in his Master's presence.

3. Guard also against an excessive love of sensitive and
animal pleasure, as that which will be a great hindrance
to you in that religious course which I have now been
urging. You cannot but know that Christ has told us,
" that a man must deny himself, and take up his cross
daily,' if he desire to become his disciple. Luke, ix. 23.
Christ, the Son of God, " the former and the heir of all
things, pleased not himself!" (Rom. xv. 3.) but submitted
to want, to difficulties, and hardships, in the way of duty,
and some of them of the extremest kind and degree, for
the glory of God and the salvation of TOcn. In this way we
are to follow him ; and as we know not how soon we may
be called, even to " resist unto blood, striving against sin,"
(Heb. xii. 4.) it is certainly best to accustom ourselves to
njat discipline, which we may possibly be called out to

166 TEMPTATIONS TO BE RESISTED. [Ch. 21.

exercise, even in such rigorous heights. A soft and deli-
cate life will give force to temptations, which might easily
be subdued by one who has habituated himself to " en-
dure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." 2 Tim.
ii. 3. It also produces an attachment to this world, and
an unwillingness to leave it, which ill becomes those who
Jire strangers and pilgrims on earth, and who expect so
soon to be called away to that better country which they
^' profess to'seek." Heb. xi. 13, 16. Add to this, that,
what the world calls a life of pleasure, is necessarily a life
of expense too, and may perhaps lead you, as it has many
others, and especially many who have been setting out in
the world, beyond the limits which Providence has as-
signed ; and so, after a course of indulgence, may produce
a proportionable want. And while in other cases it is true,
that pity should be shown to the poor, this is a poverty
that is justly contemptible, because it is the effect of a
man's ou'n folly; and w4ien your " want thus comes upon
you as an armed man," (Prov. vi. 11.) you will not only
lind yourself stripped of the capacity you might otherv.-ise

have secured fui iiciformin|^ thoco worUc of oliavity, Txrlisoli,

are so ornamental to a Christian profession, but probably
will be under strong temptations to some low artifice or
mean compliance, quite beneath the Christian character,
and that of an upright man. Many, who once made a high
profession, after a series of such sorry and scandalous shifts,
have fallen into the infamy of the worst kind of bankrupts;
I mean such as have lavished away on themselves what
was indeed the property of others, and so have injured,
and perhaps ruined, the industrious, to feed a foolish, lux-
urious, or ostentatious humour, which, while indulged,
was the shame of their own fatnilies, and when it can be
indulged no longer, is their torment. This will be a ter-
rible reproach to religion : such a reproach to it, that a
good man would rather choose to live on bre-ul and water,
or indeed to die for want of them, than to occasion it.

4. Guard, therefore, I beseech you, against any thing
which might tend that way, especially by diligence in bu-
siness, and by prudence and frugality in expense, which,
by the Divine blessing, may have a very happy influence
to make your affairs prosperous, your health vigorous, and
your mind easy. But this cannot be attained without keep-

Ch. 21.] TEMPTATIONS TO BE RESISTED. 18?

ing a resolute watch over yourself, and strenuously refus-
ing to comply with many proposals, which indolence or
sensuality will offer in very plausible forms, and for which
it will plead, " that it asks but very little." Take heed,
lest in this respect you imitate those fond parents, who, by
indulging their children in every little thing they have a
mind to, encourage them, by insensible degrees, to grow
still more encroaching and imperious in their demands ; as
if they chose to be ruined with them, rather than to check
them in what seems a trifle. Remember, and consider that
excellent remark, sealed by the ruin of so many thousands :
" He that despiseth small things, shall fall by little and
little."

5. In this view, give me leave also seriously and tenderly
to caution you, my dear reader, against the snares of vain
company. I speak not, as before, of that company which
is openly licentious and profane. I hope there is some-
thing now in your temper and views, which would engage
you to turn away from such with detestation and horror.
But I beseech you to consider, that those companions may
be very dangerous, who might at first give you but very
little alarm : I mean those who, though not the declared
enemies of religion, and professed followers of vice and
disorder, yet nevertheless have no practical sense of divine
things on their hearts, so far as can be judged by their
conversation and behaviour. You must often of necessity
be with such persons; and Christianity not only allows,
but requires, that you should, on all expedient occasions
of intercourse with them, treat them with civility and re-
spect; but choose not such for your most intimate friends,
and do not contrive to spend most of your leisure moments
among them. For such converse has a sensible tendency
to alienate the soul from God, and to render it unfit for all
spiritual communion with him. To convince you of this,
do but reflect on your own experience, when you have
been for many hours together among persons of such a
character. Do you not find yourself more indisposed for
devotional exercises ? Do you not find your heart, by in-
sensible degrees, more and more inclined to a conformity
to this world, and to look with a secret disrelish on those
objects and employments, to which reason directs as the
noblest and best ? Observe the first symptoms, and guard

188 TEMPTATIONS TO Bt RESISTED. fCh. 21.

against the snare in time; and for this purpose, endeavour
to form friendships founded in piety, and supported by it.
*' Be a companion of them that fear God, and of them that
keep his precepts." Psahil cxix. 63. You well know, that
in the sight of God " they are the excellent of the earth ;"
let them therefore "be all your delight." Psalm xvi. 3.
And that the peculiar benefit of their friendship may not
be lost, endeavour to make the best of the hours you spend
with them. The wisest of men has observed, that when
"counsel in the heart of a man is like deep waters," that
is, when it lies low and concealed, " a man of understand-
ing will draw it out." Prov. xx. 5. Endeavour, therefare,
on such occasions, so far as you can do it with decency
and convenience, to give the conversation a religious turn.
And when serious and useful subjects are started in your
presence, lay hold of them, and cultivate them ; and for
that purpose, " let the word of Christ dwell richly in you,"
(Col. iii. 1.) and be continually made "the man of your
counsel." Psalm cxix. 24.

6. If it be so, it will secure you, not only from the snares
of idleness and luxury, but from the contagion of every bad
example. And it will also engage you to guard against
those excessive hurries of worldly business, which would
fill up all your time and thoughts, and thereby " choke the
good word" of God, and render it in a great measure, if not
quite, unfruitful. Matt. xiii. 22. Young people are gene-
rally of an enterprising disposition : having experienced
comparatively little of the fatigue of business, and of the
disappointments and incumbrances of life, they easily swal-
low them up and annihilate them in their imagination, and
fancy that their spirit, their application, and address, will
be able to encounter and surmount every obstacle or hin-
drance. But the event proves it otherwise. Let me en-
treat you, therefore, to be cautious how you plunge your-
self into a greater variety of business than you are capable
of managing as you ought, that is, in consistency with the
care of your soul, and the service of God, which certainly
ought not on any pretence to be neglected. It is true in-
deed, that a prudent regard to your worldly interests would
require such a caution ; as it is obvious to every careful
observer, that multitudes ape undone, by grasping at more
than they can conveniently manage. Hence it has frequent-

Ch. 21.] TEMPTATIONS TO BE RESISTED. 189

ly been seen, that, while they have seemed resolved to be
rich, they have " pierced themselves through with many
sorrows," (1 Tim. vi. 10.) have ruined their own families,
end drawn down many others into desolation with them.
Whereas, could they have been contented with moderate
employments and moderate gains, they might have pros-
pered in their business, and might, by sure degrees, under
a divine blessing, have advanced to great and honourable
increase. But if there were no danger at all to be appre-
hended on this head, if you were as certain of becoming rich
and great, as you are of'perplexing and fatiguing- yourself iu
the attempt, consider, I beseech you, how precarious these
enjoyments are. Consider, how often " a plentiful table
becomes a snare, and that which should have been for a
man's welfare, becomes a trap." Psalm, Ixix. 22. Forget
not that short lesson, which is so comprehensive of the
highest wisdom : " one thing is needful :" Luke, x. 42.
Be daily thinking, while the gay and the great things of
life are glittering before your eyes, hovv^ soon death will
come, and impoverish you at once : how soon it will strip
you of all possessions, but those which a naked soul caa
carry along with it into eternity, when it drops the body in-
to the grave. Eternity ! Eternity ! Eternity ! Car-
ry the view of it about with you, if it be possible, through
every hour of waking life ; and be fully persuaded, that you
have no business, no interest in life, that is inconsistent
with it ; for whatsoever would be injurious in view of eter-
nity, is not your business, is not your interest. You see
indeed, that the generality of men act as if they thought the
great thing which God requires of them, in order to secure
his favour, was to get as much of the world as possible ; at
least as much as they can without any gross immorality,
and without risking the loss of all. Such persons may tell
others, and perhaps flatter themselves, that they only seek
opportunities of greater usefulness. But in effect, if they
mean any thing more by this, than a capacity of usefulness,
which, when they have it, they will not exert, they gene-
rally deceive themselves; and one way or another, it is a
vain pretence. In most instances men seek the world, —
either that they may hoard up riches, for the mean and scan-
dalous satisfaction of looking upon them while they are liv-
ing, and of thinking, that, when they are dead, it will be said

190 TEMPTATIONS TO BE RESISTED. Clj. 21 ,

of them, tliat they have left so many hundreds or thou-
sands of pounds behind them ; very probably, to ensnare
their children, or their heirs, (for the vanity is not peculiar
to those who have children of their own,) — or else that
they may lavish away their riciies on their lusts, and drown
themselves in a gulf of sensuality, in which, if reason be
not lost, religion is soon swallowed up, and with it all the
nobh'st pleasures which can enter into the heart of man. In
this view, the generality of rich people appear to me ob-
jects of much greater compassion than the poor: especial-
ly as, when both live (which is frequently the case) with-
out any fear of God before their eyes, the rich abuse the
greater variety and abundance of their favours, and there-
fore will probably feel, in that world of future rum which
awaits impenitent sinners, a more exquisite sense of their
misery.

7. And let me observe to you, my dear reader, lest you
should think yourself secure from any such danger, that
we have great reason to apprehend, there are many now iu
a very wretched state, who on^ce thought seriously of reli-
gion, when they \vere first setting out, in lower circum-
stances of life; but they have since forsaken God for
Mammon, and are now priding themselves in those golden
chains, which, in all probability, before it be long, will
leave them to remain in those of darkness. When, there-
fore, an attachment to the world may be followed with such
fatal consequences, " let not thine heart envy sinners,"
(Prov. xxiii. 17.) and do not, out of a desire of gaining
what they have, be guilty of such folly as to expose your-
self to this double danger of failing in the attempt, or of
being undone by the success of it. Contract your desires ;
endeavour to be easy and content with a little ; and if
Providence call you out to act in a larger sphere, submit to
it in obedience to Providence, but number it among the tri-
als of life, which it will require a larger proportion of grace
to bear well. For be assured, that, as affairs and interests
multiply, cares and duties will certainly increase, and pro-
bably disappointments and sorrows will increase in an equal
j3roportion.

8. On the whole, learn, by divine grace, to die to the
present world ; to look upon it as a low state of being,
which God never intended for the final and complete ha|)-

Ch. 21.] PRAYER AGAINST TEMPTATION. 191

pkiess, or the supreme care, of any one of his children :
a world, where something is indeed to be enjoyed, but
chiefly from himself; where a great deal is to be borno
with patience and resignation ; and where some important
duties are to be performed, and a course of discipline to be
passed through, by which you are to be formed for a better
state, to which, as a Christian, you are near, and to which
God will call you, perhaps on a sudden, but undoubtedly,
if you hold on your way, in the fittest time and the most
convenient manner. Refer, therefore, all this to him. Let
your hopes and fears, your expectations and desires, with
regard to this world, be kept as low as possible; and all
your thoughts be united, as much as may be, in this one
centre : what is it that God would, in present circumstances,
have you to be ; and what is that method of conduct, hy
which you may most effectually please and glorify him.

The YoU7ig ConverVs Prai/er for Divine Protection against the
Danger of these Snares.

" Blessed God ' In the midst of ten thousand snares
and dangers, which surround me from without and from
within, permit me to look up unto thee with my humble
entreaty, that thou wouldst ' deliver me from" them that
rise up against me,' (Psalm lix. 1.) and that Hhine eyes
may be upon me for good.' Jer. xxiv. 6. When sloth and
indolence are ready to seize me, awaken me from that idle
dream, with lively and affectionate views of that invisible
and eternal world to which I am tending ! Remind me of
what infinite importance it is, that I diligently improve
those transient moments, which thou hast allotted me as
the time of my preparation for it.

" When sinners entice me, may I not consent ! Prov. i.
10. May holy converse with God give me a disrelish for the
converse of those who are strangers to thee, and who
would separate my soul from thee ! May I ' honour them
that fear the Lord,' (Psalm xv. 4.) and walking with such
wise and holy men, may I find I am daily advancing in
wisdom and holiness ! Prov. xiii. 20. Quicken me, O
Lord ! by their means; that by me thou mayest also quicken
others ! Make me the happy instrument of enkindling and
animating the flame of divine love in their breasts; and

192 PRAYSR AGAINST TEMPTATION. fCh. 21.

may It catch from heart to heart, and grow every moment
in its progress !

" Guard me, 0 Lord ! from the love of sensual pleasure '
May I seriously remember, that ' to be carnally-minded
is death I' Rom. viii. 6. May it please thee, therefore, to
purify and refine my soul by the influence of thine Holy
Spirit, that I may always shun unlawful gratifications, more
solicitously than others pursue them ; and that those in-
dulgences of animal nature, which thou hast allowed, and
which the constitution of things renders necessary, may be
soberly and moderately used ! May I still remember the
superior dignity of my spiritual and intelligent nature,
and may the pleasures of the man and the Christian be
sought as my noblest happiness ! May my soul rise on the
wings of holy contemplation, to the regions of invisible glo-
ry ; and may I be endeavouring to form myself, under the
influences of divine grace, for the entertainments of those
angelic spirits, that live in thy presence, in a happy inca-
pacity of those gross delights, by which spirits dwelling
in flesh are so often ensnared, and in which they so often
loss the memory of their high original, and of those noble
hopes which alone are proportionable to it !

" Give me, O Lord ! to know the station in which thou
hast fixed me, and steadily to pursue the duties of it !
But deliver me from those excessive cares of this world,
which would so engross my time and my thoughts, that
^ the one thing needful' should be forgotten ! May my de-
sires after worldly possessions be moderated, by consider-
ing their uncertain and unsatisfying nature; and, while
others are laying up treasures on earth, may I be ' rich to-
wards God !' Luke, xii. 2L May I never be too busy to
attend to those great aff'airs, which lie between thee and
my soul ; never be so engrossed with the concerns of time,
as to neglect the interests of eternity ! May I pass through
earth with my heart and hopes set upon heaven, and feel
the attractive influence stronger and stronger as I approach
still nearer and nearer to that desirable centre ; till the hap-
py moment come, when every earthly object shall disap-
pear from my view, and the shining glories of the heaven-
ly world shall fill my improved and strengthened sight,
which shall then be cheered with that which would now
overwhelm me ! Amen."

Ch. 22.] DECLENSION IN RELIGION. 1|93

CHAPTER XXII.

THE CASE OF SPIRITUAL DECAY AND LANGUOK IN RELIGlOSf.

1. Declensions in religion, and relapses into sin, with their sorrow-
ful consequences, are in the general too probable. — 2. The case of
declension and languor in religion described, negatively. — 3. And
positively. — 4. As discovering itself— by a failure in the duties of the
closet. — 5. By a neglect of social worship. — -6. By ivant of love
to our fellow Christians. — 7. By an undue attachment to sensual
pleasures or secular cares. — 8. By prejudices against some impor^
tant principles in religion. — 9, 10. A symptom peculiarly sad and
dangerous. — 11. Directions for recovery. — 12. Immediately to be
pursued. A prayer for one under spiritual decays.

1. If I am SO happy as to prevail upon you in the ex-
hortations and cautions I have given, you will probably
go on with pleasure and comfort in religion, and your path
will generally be " like the morning light, which shineth
more and more until the perfect day." Prov. iv. 18. Yet
I dare not flatter myself with an expectation of such suc-
cess, as shall carry you above those varieties of temper, con-
duct, and state, which have been more or less the com-
plaint of the best of men. Much do I fear, that, how
warmly soever your heart may now be impressed with the
representation I have been making, though the great ob-
jects of your faith and hope continue unchangeable, your
temper towards them will be changed. Much do I fear,
that you will feel your mind languish and tire in the good
ways of God ; nay, that you may be prevailed upon to take
some step out of them, and may thus fall a prey to some
of those temptations which you now look upon with a ho-
ly scorn. The probable consequence of this will be, that
God will hide his face from you, that he will stretch forth
his afflicting hand against you, and that you still will see
your sorrowful moments, how cheerfully soever you now
be " rejoicing in the Lord, and joying in the God of your
salvation." Hab. iii. 18. I hope, therefore, it may be of
some service, if this too probable event should happen, to
consider these cases a little more particularly ; and I
heartily pray, that God would make what I shall say con-
cerning them the means of restoring, comforting, and

194 DECLENSION IN RELIGION. [Cb. 22,

strengthening your soul, if he ever suflfers you in any de-
gree to deviate from him.

2. We will first consider the case of Spiritual Declen-
sions and Languor in religion. And here I desire, that,
before I proceed any farther, you would observe, that I do
not comprehend under this head every abatement of that
fervour which a young convert may find when he first be-
comes experimentally acquainted with divine things. Our
natures are so framed, that the novelty of objects strikes
them in something of a peculiar manner : not to urge, how
much moie easily our passions are impressed in the earlier
years of life, than when we are more advanced in the jour-
ney of it. This, perhaps, is not sufficiently considered.
Too great a stress is commonly laid on the flow of affec-
tions ; and for want of this, a Christian, who is ripened in
grace, and greatly advanced in his preparation for glory,
may sometimes be led to lament imaginary rather than real
decays, and to say, without any just foundation, *' 0 that
it were with me as in months past !" Job, xxix. 2. There-
fore, you can hardly be too frequently told, that religion
consists chiefly " in the ' resolution of the will for God,'
and in a constant care to avoid whatever we are persuad-
ed he would disapprove, to despatch the work he has as-
signed us in life, and to promote his glory in the happiness
of mankind." To this we are chiefly to attend, looking in
all to the simplicity and purity of those motives from which
we act, which we know are chiefly regarded by that God
who searches the heart ; humbling ourselves before him at
the same time under a sense of our many imperfections, and
flying to the blood of Christ and the grace of the Gospel.

3. Having given this precaution, I will now a little
more particularly describe the case, which I call the state
of a Christian who is declining in religion ; so far as it does
not fall in wdth those w^hich I shall consider in the follow-
ing chapters. And I must observe, that it chiefly consists
*'in a forgetfulness of divine objects, and a remissness in
those various duties to which w^e stand engaged by that
solemn surrender which we have made of ourselves to the
service of God." There will be a variety of symptoms,
according to the diff'erent circumstances and relations in
which the Christian is placed ; but some will be of a more
universal kind. It will be peculiarly proper to touch on

Ch. 22.] DECLENSION IN RELIGION. 195

these ; aud so much the rather, as these declensions are
often unobserved, like the gray hairs which were upon
Ephraim, when he knew it not. Hosea, vii. 9.

4. Should you, my reader, fall into this state, it will
probably first discover itself by a failure in the duties of the
closet. Not that I suppose they will at first, or certainly
conclude that they will at all, be wholly omitted, but they
will be run over in a cold and formal manner. Sloth, or
some of those other snares which I cautioned you against
in the former chapter, will so far prevail upon you, that
though perhaps you know and recollect that the proper
season of retirement is come, you will sometimes indulge
yourself upon your bed in the morning, sometimes in con-
versation or business in the evening, so as not to have con-
venient time for it. Or perhaps, when you come into your
closet at that season, some favourite book you are desirous
to read, some correspondence that you choose to carry on,
or some other amusement, will present itself, and plead to
be despatched first. This will probably take up more time
than you imagined ; and then secret prayer will be hurried
over, and perhaps reading the Scripture quite neglected.
You will plead, perhaps, that it is but for once ; but the
same allowance will be made a second and a third time ;
and it will grow more easy and familiar to you each time
than it was the last. And thus God will be mocked, and
your own soul will be defrauded of its spiritual meals, if I
may be allowed the expression ; the word of God will be
slighted, and self-examination quite disused ; and secret
prayer itself will grow a burden rather than a delight ; a
trifling ceremony, rather than a devout homage, fit for the
acceptance of '' our Father who is in heaven."

5. If immediate and resolute measures be not taken for
your recovery from these declensions, they will spread
farther, and reach the acts of social worship. You will
feel the eflects in your family and in public ordinances.
And if you do not feel them, the symptoms will be so much
the worse. Wandering thoughts will, as it were, eat out
the very heart of these duties. It is not, I believe, the
privilege of the most eminent Christians to be entirely free
from them ; but probably in these circumstances you will
find but few intervals of strict attention, or of any thing
which wears the appearance of inward devotion. And

196 DECLENSION IN RELIGION. [Ch. 22.

when these heartless duties are concluded, there will
scarce be a reflection made, how little God hath been en-
joyed in them, how little he hath been honoured by them.
Perhaps the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, being so
admirably adapted to fix the attention of the soul, and to
excite its warmest exercise of holy affections, may be the
last ordinance in which these declensions will be felt.
And yet, who can say that the sacred table is a privileged
place ? Having been unnecessarily straitened in your pre-
parations, you will attend with less fixedness and enlarge-
ment of heart than usual. And perhaps a dissatisfaction in
the review, when there has been a remarkable alienation
or insensibility of mind, may occasion a disposition to for-
sake your place and your duty there. And when your spi-
ritual enemies have once gained this point upon you, it is
probable you will fall by swifter degrees than ever, and
your resistance to their attempts will grow weaker and
weaker.

6. When your love to God our Father and to the Lord
Jesus Christ fails, your fervour of Christian affection to
your brethren in Christ will proportionably decline, and
your concern for usefulness in life abate, especially where
any thing is to be done for spiritual edification. You will
find some one excuse or another for the neglect of religious
discourse, perhaps not only among neighbours and Chris-
tian friends, when very convenient opportunities offer;
but even with regard to those who are members of your
own families, and to those who, if you are fixed in the su-
perior relations of life, are committed to your care.

7. With this remissness, an attachment either to sensual
pleasure or to worldly business will increase. For the
soul must have something to employ it, and something to
delight itself in ; and as it turns to the one or the other of
these, temptations of one sort or another will present them-
selves. In some instances, perhaps the strictest bonds of
temperance, and the regular appointments of life, may be
broken in upon, through a fondness for company, and the
entertainments which often attend it. In other instances,
the interests of life appearing greater than they did before,
and taking up more of the mind, contrary interests of other
persons may throw you into disquietude, or plunge you
in debate and contention, in which it is extremely difficult

Ch. 22.] DETJLENSION IN RELIGION. 197

to preserve either the serenity or the innocence of the
soul. And perhaps, if ministers and other Christian friends
observe this, and endeavour in a plain and faithful way to
reduce you from your wandering, a false delicacy of mind,
often contracted in such a state as this, will render these
attempts extremely disagreeable. The ulcer of the soul,
if I may be allowed the expression, will not bear being
touched when it most needs it ; and one of the most gene-
rous and self-denying instances of Christian friendship
shall be turned into an occasion of coldness and distaste,
yea, perhaps of enmity.

8. And possibly, to sum up all, this disordered state of
mind may lead you into some prejudices against those very
principles which might be most effectual for your reco-
very ; and your great enemy may succeed so far in his at-
tempts against you, as to persuade you that you have lost
nothing in religion, when you have almost lost all. He
may very probably lead you to conclude, that your former
devotional frames were mere fits of enthusiasm, and that
the holy regularity of your walk before God was an unne-
cessary strictness and scrupulosity. Nay, you may think
it a great improvement in understanding, that you have
learnt from some new masters, that, if a man treat his fellow-
creatures with humanity and good nature, judging and re-
viling only those who would disturb others by the narrow-
ness of their notions, (for these are generally exempted
from other objects of the most universal and disinterested
benevolence so often boasted of,) he must necessarily be
in a very good state, though he pretend not to converse
much with God, provided that he think respectfully of
him, and do not provoke him by any gross immoralities.

9. I mention this in the last stage of religious declen-
sion, because I apprehend that to be its proper place ; and
I fear it will be found by experience, to stand upon the
very confines of that gross apostacy into deliberate and
presumptuous sin, which will claim our consideration
under the next head. And because, too, it is that symp-
tom which most eff'ectually tends to prevent the success,
and even the use, of any proper remedies, in consequence
of a fond and fatal apprehension, that they are needless.
It is, if I may borrow the simile, like those fits of lethar-
gic drowsiness, which often precede apoplexies and death.

198 DECLENSION IN RELIGION. [Ch. 22.

10. It is by no means my design at this time to reckon
up, much less to consider at large, those dangerous princi-
ples which are now ready to possess the mind, and to lay
the foundation of a false and treacherous peace. Indeed
they are in different instances various, and sometimes run
into opposite extremes. But if God awaken you to read
your Bible with attention, and give you to feel the spirit
with which it is written, almost every page will flash con-
viction upon the mind, and spread a light to scatter and
disperse these shades of darkness.

11. What I chiefly intend in this address, is to engage
you, if possible, as soon as you perceive the first symptoms
of these declensions, to be upon your guard, and to endea-
vour, as speedily as possible, to recover yourself from them.
And I would remind you, that the remedy must begin
where the first cause or complaint prevailed, I mean, i^ the
closet. Take some time for recollection, and ask your
own conscience, seriously, how matters stand between the
blessed God and your soul ? Whether they are as they
once were, and as you could wish them to be, if you saw
your life just drawing to a period, and were to pass imme-
diately into the eternal state ? One serious thought of
eternity shames a thousand vain excuses, with which, in
the forgetfulness of it, we are ready to delude our own
souls. And w^hen you feel that secret misgiving of heart,
which will naturally arise on this occasion, do not endea-
vour to palliate the matter, and to find out slight and artful
coverings, for what you cannot forbear secretly condemn-
ing, but honestly fall under the conviction, and be humbled
for it. Pour out your heart before God, and seek the re-
newed influences of his Spirit and grace. Return with
more exactness to secret devotion, and to self-examina-
tion. Read the Scripture with yet greater diligence, and
especially the more devotional and spiritual parts of it.
Labour to ground it in your heart, and to feel what you
have reason to believe the sacred penmen felt when they
wrote, so far as circumstances may agree. Open your soul,
with all simplicity, to every lesson which the word of God
would teach you ; and guard against those things which
you perceive to alienate your mind from inward religion,
though there be nothing criminal in the things themselves.
They may perhaps in the general be lawful ; to some pos-

Ch. 22.] PRAYER UNDER DECLENSION. 199

sibly they may be expedient ; but if they produce such an
effect as was mentioned above, it is certain they are not
convenient for you. In these circumstances, above all, seek
the converse of those Christians whose progress in religion
seems most remarkable, and who adorn their profession in
the most amiable manner. Labour to obtain their temper and
sentiments, and lay open your case and your heart to them,
with all the freedom which prudence will permit. Em-
ploy yourself, at seasons of leisure, in reading practical and
devotional books, in which the mind and heart of the pious
author is transfused into the work, and in which you can,
as it were, taste the genuine spirit of Christianity. And to
conclude, take the first opportunity that presents, of mak-
ing an approach to the table of the Lord, and spare neither
time nor pains, in the most serious preparation for it.
There renew your covenant with God ; put your soul
anew into the hands of Christ, and endeavour to view the
wonders of his dying love, in such a manner as may re-
kindle the languishing flame, and quicken you to more
vigorous resolutions than ever, " to live unto him who
died for you." 2 Cor. v. 15. And watch over your own
heart, that the good impressions you then felt may conti-
nue. Rest not, till you have obtained as confirmed a state
of religion as you ever knew. Rest not, till you have made
a greater progress than before ; for it is only by a zeal to
go forward, that you can be secure from the danger of go-
ing backward, and revolting more and more.

12. I only add, that it is necessary to take these precau-
tions as soon as possible, or you will probably find a much
swifter progress than you are aware in the downhill road;
and you may possibly be left of God, to fall into some gross
and aggravated sin, so as to fill your conscience with an
agony and horror, which the pain of "broken bones"
(Psalm li. 8.) can but imperfectly express.

^^ Prayer for one under Spiritual Decays.

" Eternal and unchangeable Jehovah ! thy perfections
and glories are, like thy being, immutable. Jesus thy Son
is * tke same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.' Heb. xiii.
8. The eternal world, to which I am hastening, is always
equally important, and presses upon the attentive mind for

SOO PRAYER UNDER DECLENSION. [Ch. 22.

a more fixed and solemn regard, in proportion to the degree
in which it comes nearer and nearer. But, alas! ray views,
and my affections, and my best resolutions, are continually
varying, like this poor body, which goes through daily and
hourly alterations in its state and circumstances. Whence,

0 Lord ! whence this sad change which I now experience,
in the frame and temper of my mind toward thee?
Whence this alienation of my soul frora thee ? Why can

1 not come to thee with all the endearments of filial love,
as I once could ? Why is thy service so remissly attended,
if attended at all ? And why are the exercises of it, which
were once my greatest pleasure, become a burden to me ?
Where, 0 God ! is the blessedness I once spake of, (Gal.
iv. 15.) when my joy in thee as my Heavenly Father was
60 conspicuous that strangers might have observed it, and
when my heart did so overflow with love to thee, and with
zeal for thy service, that it was matter of self-denial to
me, to limit and restrain the genuine expressions of those
strong emotions of my soul, even where prudence and duty
required it ?

"Alas, Lord! whither am I fallen? Thine eye sees
me still ; but, oh ! how unlike what it once saw me I
Cold and insensible as I am, I must blush on the reflec-
tion. Thou *seest me in secret,' (Matt. vi. 6.) and seest
me, perhaps, often amusing myself with trifles, in those
seasons which I used solemnly to devote to thine imme-
diate service. Thou seest me coming into thy presence as
by constraint; and when I am before thee, so straitened
in my spirit, that I hardly know what to say to thee,
though thou art the God with whom I have to do ; and
though the keeping up a humble and dutiful correspondence
with thee is, beyond all comparison, the most important
business of my life. And even when I am speaking to
thee, with how much coldness and formality is it ! It is
perhaps the work of imagination, the labour of the lips ;
out where are those ardent desires, those intense breath-
ings after God, which I once felt? Wheie is that pleasing
repose in thee, which I was once conscious of, as being
near my divine rest, as being happy in that nearness, and
resolving that, if possible, I would no more be removed
from it ? But, oh ! how far am 1 now removed ? When
these short devotions, if they may be called devotions, are

Ch. 22.J PRAYER UNDER DECLENSION. 201

over, in what long intervals do I forget thee, and appear
60 little animated with thy love, so little devoted to thy
service, that a stranger might converse with me a consi-
derable time, without knowing that I had ever formed any
acquaintance with thee, without discovering that I had so
much as known or heard any thing of God ? Thou callest
me to thine house, 0 Lord! on thine own day: but how^
heartless are my services there ! I present thee no more
than my body : my thoughts and affections are engrossed
with other objects, while I ' draw near thee with my
mouth, and honour thee with my lips.' Isaiah, xxix. 13.
Thou callest me to thy table; but my heart is so frozen,
that it hardly melts even at the foot of the cross, hardly
feels any efficacy in the blood of Jesus. O wretched crea-
ture that I am ! Unworthy of being called thine! Unwor-
thy of a place among thy children, or of the meanest situa-
tion in thy family : rather worthy to be cast out, to be
forsaken, yea, to be utterly destroyed I

"Is this. Lord, the service which I once promised, and
which thou hast so many thousand reasons to expect?
Are these the returns I am making for thy daily providential
care, for the sacrifice of thy Son, for the communications
of t]?y Spirit, for the pardon of my numberless aggravated
sins, for the hopes, the undeserved and so often forfeited
hopes, of eternal glory? Lord, I am ashamed to stand or
to kneel before thee. But pity me, I beseech thee, and
help me ; for I am a pitiable object indeed ; my soul
cleaveth unto the dust, and lays itself as in the dust be-
fore thee ; but, 0 quicken me according to thy word I
Psalm cxix. 25. Let me trifle no longer, for I am upon
the brink of a precipice ! I am thinking of my ways : 0
give me grace to turn my feet unto thy testimonies, to make
haste without any farther delay, that I may keep thy com-
mandments ! Psalm cxix. 59, 60. Search me, OLord!
and try me. Psalm cxxxix. 23. Go to the first root of
this distemper, which spreads itself over my soul, and re-
cover me from it! Represent sin unto me, 0 Lord! I
beseech thee, that I may see it with abhorrence! And re-
present the Lord Jesus Christ to me in such a light, that I
may look upon him and mourn, (Zee. vii. 10.) that I may
look upon him and love ! May I awaken from this stupid
lethargy into which I am sinking, and may Christ give mo

202 RELAPSE INTO KNOWN SIN. [Ch. 23.

more abundant degrees of spiritual life and activity than I
have ever yet received ! And may I be so quickened and
animated by him, that I may more than recover the ground
I have lost, and may make a more speedy and exemplary
progress than in my best days I have ever yet done ! Send
down upon me, O Lord ! in a more rich and abundant effu-
sion, thy good Spirit. May he dwell in me as a temple
which he has consecrated to himself! (1 Cor. iii. 16.) and
while all the serv-ice is directed and governed by him, may
holy and acceptable sacrifices be continually offered ! Rom.
xii. 1. May the incense be constant, and may it be fra-
grant ! May the sacred fire burn and blaze perpetually !
Lev. vi. 13. And may none of its vessels ever be profaned,
by being employed to an unholy or forbidden use ! Amen."

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE SAD CASE OF A RELAPSE INTO KNOWN AND DELIBERATE SIN,
AFTER SOLEMN ACTS OF DEDICATION TO GOD AND SOME PRO-
CRESS MADE IN RELIGION.

1. Untkotight of relapses may happen — 2. and bring the soulinto a mi
serable case. — 3. Yet the case is not desperate. — 4. The backslider
urged immediately to return, by deep humiliation before God for
so aggravated an offence. — 5. By renewed regards to the divine
mercy in Christ. — 6. By an open profession of repentance, where
the crime hath given public offence. — 7. Falls to be reviewed for
future caution, — 8. The chapter concludes with a prayer for the
use of one who hath fallen into gross sins, after religious resolu-
tions and engagements.

1. The declensions which I have described in the fore-
going chapter, must be acknowledged worthy of deep la-
mentation ; but happy will you be, my dear reader, if you
never know, by experience, a circumstance yet more me-
lancholy than this. Perhaps, when you consider the view
of things which you now have, you imagine that no con-
siderations can ever bribe you, in any single instance, to
act contrary to the present dictates or suggestions of your
conscience, and of the Spirit of God by which it is enlighten-
ed and directed. No : you think it would be better for you
to die. And you think rightly ; but Peter thought and said
so too ; " Though I should die with thee, yet will I not

Ch. 23.] RELAPSE INTO KNOWN SIN. 203

deny thee," (Matt. xxvi. 35.) and yet, after all, he fell ;
and therefore " be not high-minded, but fear." Rom. xi.
20. It is not impossible but you may fall into that very
sin, of which you imagine you are least in danger, or
into that against which you have most solemnly resolved,
and of which you have already most bitterly repented.
You may relapse into it again and again. But, 0 ! if
you do, nay, if you should deliberately and presump-
tuously fall but once, how deep will it pierce your heart!
How dear will you pay for all the pleasure with which
the temptation has been accompanied ! How will this
separate between God and you ! What a desolation, what
a dreadful desolation will it spread over your soul ! It
is grievous to think of it. Perhaps in such a state you
may feel more agony and distress in your own conscience,
when you come seriously to reflect, than you ever felt
when you were first awakened and reclaimed; because the
sin will be attended with some very high aggravations,
beyond those of your unregenerate state. 1 well know
the person that said, " The agonies of a sinner, in the first
pangs of his repentance, are not to be mentioned on the
same day with those of ' the backslider in heart,' when he
comes to be ' filled with his own way.' " Prov. xlv. 14.

2. Indeed, it is enough to wound one's heart to think
how yours will be wounded ; how all your comforts, all
your evidences, all your hopes, will be clouded ; what
thick darkness will spread itself on every side ; so that
neither sun, nor moon, nor stars, will appear in your hea-
ven. Your spiritual consolations will be gone ; and your
temporal enjoyments will also be rendered tasteless and
insipid. And if afflictions be sent, as they probably may,
in order to reclaim you, a consciousness of guilt will
sharpen and envenom tfee dart. Then will the enemy of
your soul, with all his art and power, rise up against you,
encouraged by your fall, and labouring to trample you
down in utter, hopeless ruin. He will persuade you, that
you are already undone beyond recovery. He will sug-
gest, that it signifies nothing to attempt it any more ; for
that every effort, every amendment, every act of repent-
ance, will but make your case so much the worse, and
plunge you lower and lower into hell.

3. Thus will he endeavour by terrors to keep ywi froni

S04 RELAPSE INTO KNOWN SIN. [Ch. 23.

that sure remedy which yet remains. But yield not to
him. Your case will indeed be sad ; and if it be now
your case, it is deplorably so ; and to rest in it, would be
etill much worse. Your heart would be hardened yet
more and more ; and nothing could be expected, but sud-
den and aggravated destruction. Yet, blessed be God, it
is not quite hopeless. Your " wounds are corrupted, be-
cause of your foolishness," (Psalm xxxviii. 5.) but the
gangrene is not incurable. " There is a balm in Gilead,
there is a physician there." Jer. viii. 22. Do not there-
fore render your condition hopeless, by now saying,
*' There is no hope," (Jer. ii. 25.) and by drawing a fatal
argument from a false supposition, " for going after the
idols you have loved." Let me address you in the lan-
guage of God to his backsliding people, when they were
ready to apprehend that to be their case, and to draw such
a conclusion from it: "only return unto me, saith the
Lord." Jer. iii. 13. Cry for renewed grace; and in the
strength of it labour to return. Cry with David, under
the like guilt, " I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek
thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments;"
(Psalm cxix. 176.) and that remembrance of them is, I
hope, a token for good. But if thou wilt return at all, do
it immediately. Take not one step more in that fatal
path, to which thou hast turned aside. Think not to add
one sin more to the account, and then to repent ; as if it
would be but the same thing on the whole. The second
error may be worse than the first ; it may make way for
another and another, and draw on a terrible train of con-
sequences, beyond all you can now imagine. Make haste,
therefore, and do not delay. " Escape, and fly as for thy
life," (Gen. xix. 17.) before "the dart strike through thy
liver." Prov. vii. 23. " Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor
slumber to thine eyelids," (Prov. vi. 4.) lie not down upon
thy bed under unpardoned guilt, lest evil overtake thee,
lest the sword of divine justice should smite thee, and,
whilst thou purposest to return to-morrow, thou shouldst
this night go and take possession of hell.

4. Return immediately, and, permit me to add, return
solemnly. Some very pious and excellent divines have
expressed themselves upon this head, in a manner which
seems liable to dangerous abuse : when they urge men af-

Ch. 23.] RELAPSE INTO KNOWN SIN. 205

ter a fall, " not to stay to survey the ground, nor consider
how they came to be thrown down, but immediately to
get up and renew the race." In slighter cases the advice
is good ; but when conscience has suffered such violent
outrage, by the commission of known, wilful, and delibe-
rate sin, (a case which one would hope should but seldom
happen to those who have once sincerely entered on a re-
ligious course,) I can by no means think that either reason
or Scripture encourages such a method. Especially would
it be improper, if the action itself had been of so heinous a
nature, that even to have fallen into it on the most sudden
surprise of temptation, must have greatly ashamed, and
terrified, and distressed the soul. Such an affair is dread-
fully solemn, and should be treated accordingly. If this
has been the sad case with you, my then unhappy reader,
I would pity you, and mourn over you ; and would beseech
you, as you value your peace, your recovery, the health
and the very life of your soul, that you would not loiter
away an hour. Retire immediately for serious reflection.
Break through other engagements and employments, un-
less they be such as you cannot in conscience delay for a
few hours, which can seldom happen in the circumstance
I now suppose. Set yourself to it, therefore, as in the
presence of God, and hear at large, patiently and humbly,
what conscience has to say, though it chide and reproach
severely. Yea, earnestly pray that God would speak to
you by conscience, and make you more thoroughly to know
and feel, " what an evil and bitter thing it is, that you
have thus forsaken him." Jer. ii. 19. Think of all the ag-
gravating circumstances attending your offence ; and es-
pecially think of those which arise from abused mercy and
goodness; which arise, not only from your solemn vows
and engagements to God, but from the views you have had
of a Redeemer's love, sealed even in blood. And are these
the returns ? Was it not enough that Christ should have
been thus injured by his enemies? Must he be " wounded
in the house of his friends" too? Zech. xiii. 6. Were
"you delivered to work such abominations as these?"
Jer. vii. 10. Did the blessed Jesus groan and die for you,
that you might sin with boldness and freedom, that you
might extract, as it were, the very spirit and essence of
sin, and offend God to a height of ingratitude and base-

206 RFXAPSE INTO KNOWN SIN. [Ch. 23*

ness, which would otherwise have been, in the nature of
things, impossible ? 0 think, how justly God might "cast
you out from his presence !" How justly he might number
you among the most signal instances of his vengeance !
And think how " your heart would endure, or your hands
be strong," if he should "deal thus with you!" Ezek.
xxii. 14. Alas ! all your former experiences would en-
hance your sense of the ruin and misery that must be felt
in an eternal banishment from the divine presence and
favour.

5. Indulge such reflections as these. Stand the hum-
bling sight of your sins in such a view as this. The more
odious and the more painful it appears, the greater pros-
pect there will be of your benefit by attending to it. But
the matter is not to rest here. All these reflections are in-
tended, not to grieve, but to cure; and to grieve no more
than may promote the cure. You are indeed to look upon
sin ; but you are also, in such circumstances, if ever, to
look upon Christ, to look upon him whom you have now
pierced deeper than before, and to mourn for him with sin-
cerity and tenderness. Zech. xii. 10. The God whom you
have injured and affronted, whose laws you have broken,
and whose justice you have, as it were, challenged by this
foolish, wretched apostacy, is nevertheless " a most merci-
ful God." Deut. iv. 31. You cannot be so ready to return
to him, as he is to receive you. Even now does he, as it
were, solicit a reconciliation, by those tender impressions
which he is making upon your heart. But remember how
he will be reconciled. It is in the very same way in which
you made your first approach to him, in the name and for
the sake of his dear Son. Come therefore in an humble de-
pendence upon him. Renew your application to Jesus,
that his blood may, as it were, be sprinkled upon your
soul, that your soul may thereby be purified, and your
guilt removed. This very sin of yours, which the blessed
God foresaw, increased the weight of your Redeemer's
sufl"erings : it was concerned in shedding his blood. Hum-
bly go, and place your wounds, as it were, under the drop-
pings of that precious balm, by which alone they can be
healed. That compassionate Saviour will delight to re-
store you, when you lie as an humble suppliant at his feet,
and will graciously take part with you hi that peace and

Ch. 23.] RELAPSE INTO KNOWN SIN. 207

pleasure which he gives. Through him renew your cove-
nant with God, that broken covenant, the breach of which
divine justice might teach you to know " by terrible things
in righteousness :" (Psal. Ixv. 5.) but mercy allows of an
accommodation. Let the consciousness and remembrance
of that breach engage you to enter into covenant anew,
under a deeper sense than ever of your own weakness,
and a more cordial dependence on divine grace for your
security, than you have ever yet entertained. I know you
will be ashamed to present yourself among the children of
God in his sanctuary, and especially at his table, under a
consciousness of so much guilt; but break through that
shame, if Providence open you the way. You would be
humbled before your offended Father ; but surely there is
no place where you are more likely to be humbled, than
when you see yourself in his house, and no ordinance ad-
ministered there can lay you lower than that in which
'^ Christ is evidently set forth as crucified before your
eyes." Gal. iii. 1. Sinners are the only persons who have
business there. The best of men come to that sacred table
as sinners. As such make your approach to it; yea, as
the greatest of sinners, as one who needs the blood of
Jesus as much as any creature upon earth.

6. And let me remind you of one thing more. If your
fall has been of such a nature as to give any scandal to
others, be not at all concerned to save appearances, and to
moderate those mortifications which deep humiliation be-
fore them would occasion. The depth and pain of that
mortification is indeed an excellent medicine, which God
has in his wise goodness appointed for you in such circum-
stances as these. In such a case, confess your fault with
the greatest frankness ; aggravate it to the utmost ; entreat
pardon and prayer from those whom you have offended.
Then, and never till then, will you be in the way to peace ;
not by palliating a fault, not by making vain excuses, not
by objecting to the manner in which others may have treat-
ed you ; as if the least excess of rigour in a faithful admo-
nition were a crime equal to some great immorality that
occasioned it. This can only proceed from the madness of
pride and self-love ; it is the sensibility of a wound, which
is hardened, swelled, and inflamed; and it must be re-
duced, and cooled, and suppled, before it can possibly be

208 RELAPSE INTO KNOWN SIN. [Ch. 23»

cured. To be censured and condemned by men, will be
but a little grievance to a soul thoroughly humbled and
broken under a sense of having incurred the condemning
sentence of God. Such a one will rather desire to glorify
God, by submitting to deserved blame; and will fear de-
ceiving others into a more favourable opinion of himself,
than he inwardly knows that he deserves. These are the
sentiments which God gives to the sincere penitent in such
a case ; and by this means he restores him to that credit
and regard among others, which he does not know how to
seek ; but which, nevertheless, for the sake both of his
comfort and usefulness, God wills that he should have, and
which it is, humanly speaking, impossible for him to re-
cover any other way. But there is something so honour-
able in the frank acknowledgment of a fault, and in deep
humiliation for it, that all who see it must needs approve
it. They pity an offender who is brought to such a dispo-
sition, and endeavour to comfort him with returning ex-
pressions, not only *of their love, but of their esteem too.

7. Excuse this digression, which may suit some cases ;
and which would suit many more, if a regular discipline
were to be exercised in churches; for, on such a supposi-
tion, the Lord's Supper could not be approached after vi-
sible and scandalous falls, without solemn confession of the
offence, and declarations of repentance. On the other hand,
there may be instances of sad apostacy, where the crime,
though highly aggravated before God, may not fall under
human notice. In this case, remember that your business
is wuth him, to whose piercing eye every thing appears in
its just light: before him, therefore, prostrate your soul,
and seek a solemn reconciliation with him, confirmed by
the memorials of his dying Son. And when this is done,
imagine not, that, because you have received the tokens of
pardon, the guilt of your apostacy is to be forgot at once.
iBear it still in your memory for future caution : lament it
before God, especially in the frequent returns of secret de-
votion ; and view with humiliation the scars of those wounds
which your own folly occasioned, even when by divine
grace they are thoroughly healed. For God establishes his
covenafit, not to remove the sense of every past abomina-
tion, but " that thou mayest remember thy ways, and be
confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because

Ch. 23.] PRAYER FOR ONE FALLEN INTO SIN. 209

of thy shame, even when I am pacified toward thee for
all that thou hast done, saith the Lord." Ezek. xvi. 63.

8. And now, upon the whole, if you desire to attain such
a temper, and to return by such steps as these, then im-
mediately fall down before God, and pour out your heart
in his presence, in language like this.

A Prayer for one who has fallen into gross Sin, after religious
Resolutions and Engagements.

" 0 most Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God ! when I seriously
reflect on thy spotless purity, and on the strict and impar-
tial methods of thy steady administration, together with
that almighty power of thine, which is able to carry every
thought of thine heart into immediate and full execution,
I may justly appear before thee this day with shame and
terror, in confusion and consternation of spirit. This day,

0 my God ! this dark, mournful day, would I take occasion
to look back to that sad source of our guilt and our misery,
the apostacy of our common parents, and say with thine
offending servant David, 'Behold, I was shapen in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.' Psalm li. 5. This
day would I lament all the fatal consequences of such a
descent, with regard to myself. And, oh how many have
they been ! The remembrance of the sins of my uncon-
verted state, and the failings and infirmities of my after life,
may justly confound me ! How much more such a scene
as now lies before my conscience, and before thine all-see-
ing eye ! For thou, O Lord ! ' knowest my foolishness,
and my sins are not hid from thee.' Psalm Ixix. 5. Thou
tellest all my wanderings from thy statutes, (Psalm Ivi. 8.)
thou seest, and thou recordest, every instance of my dis-
obedience to thee, and of my rebellion against thee. Thou
seest them in every aggravated circumstance which I can
discern, and in many more which I have never observed
or reflected upon. How then shall I appear in thy pre-
sence, or lift up my face to thee ! Ezra, ix. 6. I am full of
confusion, (Job, x. 15.) and feel a secret regret in the
thought of applying to thee ; but, ' 0 Lord, to whom shall

1 go but unto thee ?' John, vi. 68. Unto thee, on whom
depends my life or my death ; unto thee, who alone canst
take away the burden of guilt which now presses me down

210 PRAYER FOR ONE FALLEN INTO SIN. [Ch. 25.

to the dust ; who alone canst restore to my soul that rest
and peace which I have lost, and which I deserve for ever
to lose !

" Behold me, 0 Lord God ! falling dowa_at thy feet !
Behold me pleading guilty in thy presence, and surrender-
ing myself to that justice which I cannot escape ! I have
not one word to offer in my own vindication, in my own
excuse. Words, far from being able to clear up my inno-
cence, can never sufficiently describe the enormity and
demerit of my sin. Thou, 0 Lord ! and thou only, knowest
to the full, how heinous and how aggravated it is. Thine
infinite understanding alone can fathom the infinite depth
of its malignity. I am, on many accounts, most unable to
do it. I cannot conceive the glory of thy sacred Majesty,
whose authority I have despised, nor the number and va-
riety of those mercies which I have sinned against. I can-
not conceive the value of the blood of thy dear Son, which
I have ungratefully trampled under my feet ; nor the dig-
nity of that blessed Spirit of thine, whose agency I have,
as far as I could, been endeavouring to oppose, and whose
work I have been, as with all my might, labouring to un-
do ; and to tear up, as it were, that plantation of his grace,
which I should rather have been willing to have guarded
with my life, and watered with my biood. 0 the baseness
and madness of my conduct ! That I should thus, as it
were, rend open the wounds of my soul, of which I had
died long ere this, had not thine own hand applied a re-
medy, had not thine only Son bled to prepare it ! That I
should violate the covenant I had made with thee by sa-
crifice, (Psalm 1. 5.) by the memorials of such a sacrifice
too, even of Jesus, my Lord, whereby I am become guilty
of his body and blood. 1 Cor. xi. 27. That I should bring
such dishonour upon religion too, by so unsuitable a walk,
and perhaps open the mouths of its greatest enemies to in-
sult it upon my account, and prejudice some against it to
their everlasting destruction !

" I wonder, 0 Lord God ! that I am here to own all
this. I wonder that thou hast not long ago appeared as a
swift witness against me, (Mai. iii. 5.) that thou hast not
discharged the thunderbolts of thy flaming wrath against
me, and crushed me into hell ; making me there a terror
to all about m^, as well as to myself, by a vengeance and

Ch. 23.] PRAYER FOR ONE FALLEN INTO SIN. 211

ruin, to be distinguished even there, where all are miser-
able, and all hopeless.

" 0 God ! thy patience is marvellous ! But hovr much
more marvellous is thy grace, which, after all this, invites
me to thee ! While I am here giving judgment against
myself, that I deserve to die, to die for ever, thou art send-
ing me the words of everlasting life, and ' calling me, as a
backsliding child, to return unto thee.' Jer. iii. 22. Be-
hold, therefore, 0 Lord ! invited by thy word, and encou-
raged by thy grace, I come ; and great as my transgres-
sions are, I humbly beseech thee freely to pardon them ;
because I know, that, though ^ my sins have reached unto
heaven,' (Rev. xviii. 5.) and are ' lifted up even unto the
skies,' (Jer. li. 9.) * thy mercy,' 0 Lord! 'is above the
heavens.' Psalm cviii. 4. Extend that mercy to me, O
heavenly Father I and display, in this illustrious instance,
the riches of thy grace and the prevalency of thy Son's
blood ! For surely, if such crimson sins as mine may be
made ' white as snow and as wool,' (Isa. 1. 12.) and if such
a revolter as I am be brought to eternal glory, earth must,
so far as it is known, be filled with wonder, and heaven
with praise ; and the greatest sinner may cheerfully apply
for pardon, if I, * the chief of sinners,' find it. And, oh !
that, when I have lain mourning, and as it were bleeding
at thy feet, as long as thou thinkest proper, thou wouldst
at length ' heal this soul of mine' which has sinned against
thee, (Psalm xli. 4.) and ' give me beauty for ashes, the oil
of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit
of heaviness !' Isa. Ixi. 3. 0 that thou wouldst at length
* restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and make me to
hear songs of gladness, that the bones which thou hast
broken may rejoice !' Psalm li. 8, 12. Then, when a sense
of thy forgiving love is shed abroad upon my heart, and it
is cheered with the voice of pardon, I will proclaim thy
grace to others ; * I will teach transgressors thy ways, and
sinners shall be converted unto thee:' (Psalm li. 13.)
those that have been backsliding from thee shall be en-
couraged to seek thee, by my happy experience, which I
will gladly proclaim for thy glory, though it be to my own
shame and confusion of face. And may this ' joy of the
Lord be my strength^' (Neh. viii. 10.) so that in it I may
serve thee henceforward with a vigour and zeal far beyond

212 HIDINGS OF god's FACE. [Ch. 24.

what I have hitherto known ! This I would ask with all
bumble submission to thy will, for I presume not to insist
upon it. If thou shouldst see fit to make me a warning to
others, by appointing that I should walk all my days in
darkness, and at last die under a cloud, ' thy will be done !*
But, 0 God ! extend mercy, for thy Son's sake, to this
sinful soul at last, and give me some place, though it were
at the feet of all thy other servants, in the regions of glory !

0 bring me at length, though it should be through the
gloomiest valley that any have ever passed, into that bless-
ed world, where I shall depart from God no more, where

1 shall wound my own conscience, and dishonour thy holy
name no more ! Then shall my tongue be loosed, how
long soever it might here be bound under the confusion
of guilt; and immortal praises shall be paid to that victo-
rious blood, which has redeemed such an infamous slave
of sin, as I must acknowledge myself to be, and brought
me, from returns into bondage and repeated pollution, to
share the dignity and holiness of those who are ' kings and
priests unto God.' Rev. i. 6. Amen."

CHAPTER XXIV.

THK CASE OF THE CHRISTIAN UNDER THE HIDINGS OF GOD's FACE,

1. The phrase scriptural. — 2. It signifies the loithdrawing the tokent
of the divine favour, — 3. chiefly as to spiritual considerations. — 4.
This may become the case of any Christian, — 5. and will be found
a very sorrowful one. — 6. The following directions, therefore, are
given to those who suppose it to be their oivn : To inquire whether
tt be indeed a case of spiritual distress, or luhether a disconsolate
frame may not proceed from indisposition of body, — 7. or difficul-
ties as to worldly circumstances. — 8, 9. If it he found to be indeed
such as the title of the chapter proposes, be advised — to consider it
as a merciful dispensation of God, to awaken and bestir the soul,
and excite to a strict examination of conscience, and reformation of
what has been amiss. — 10. To be humble and patient while the trial
continues. — 11. To go on steadily i?i the way of duty. — 12. To re-
new a believing application to the blood of Jesus. An humble sup-
plication for one under these mournful exercises of mind, when
they are found to proceed from the spiritual cause supposed.

1. There is a case which often occurs in the Christian
life, which they who accustom themselves much to the ex-
ercises of devotion have been used to call the " hiding of

Ch. 24.] HIDINGS OF god's face. 213

God's face." It is a phrase borrowed from the word of
God, which I hope may shelter it from contempt at the
first hearing. It will be my business in this chapter to state
it as plainly as I can, and then to give some advice as to
your own conduct when you fall into it, as it is very pro-
bable you may, before you have finished your journey
through this wilderness.

2. The meaning of it may partly be understood by the
opposite phrase of God's " causing his face to shine upon
a person, or lifting up upon him the light of his counte-
nance." This seems to carry in it an allusion to the plea-
sant and delightful appearance which the face of a friend
has, and especially if in a superior relation of life, when
he converses with those whom he loves and delights in.
Thus Job, when speaking of the regard paid him by his
attendants, says, " If I smiled upon them, they believed it
not, and the light of my countenance they cast not down,"
(Job, xxix. 24.) that is, they were careful, in such agree-
able circumstances, to do nothing to displease me, or (as
we speak) to cloud my brow. And David, when express-
ing his desire of the manifestation of God's favour to him,
says, " Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon
me ;" and, as the effect of it, declares, " thou hast put
gladness into my heart more than if corn and wine increas-
ed." Psalm iv. 6, 7. Nor is it impossible, that, in this
phrase as used by David, there may be some allusion to
the bright shining forth of the Shekinah, that is, the lustre
which dwelt in the cloud as the visible sign of the divine
presence with Israel, which God was pleased peculiarly
to manifest upon some public occasions, as a token of his
favour and acceptance. On the other hand, therefore, for
God " to hide his face," must imply his withholding the
tokens of his favour, and must be esteemed a mark of his
displeasure. Thus Isaiah uses it, " Your iniquities have
separated between you and your God, and your sins have
hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah, lix. 2.
And again, " Thou hast hid thy face from us," as not re-
garding the calamities we suffer, " and hast consumed us
because of our iniquities." Isaiah, Ixiv. 7. So likewise,
for God " to hide his face from our sins," (Psalm li. 9.)
signifies to overlook them, and to take no farther notice
of them. The same idea is, at other times, expressed by

214 HIDINGS OF god's FACE. [Ch. 24.

" God's hiding his eyes," (Isaiah, i. 15.) from persons of a
character disagreeable to him, when they come to address
him with their petitions, not vouchsafing, as it were, to
look toward them. This is plainly the scriptural sense of
the word ; and agreeably to this, it is generally used by
Christians in our day, and every thing which seems a token
of divine displeasure toward them is expressed by it.

3. It is farther to be observed here, that the things which
they judge to be manifestations of divine favour toward
them, or complacency in them, are not only, nor chiefly of
a temporal nature, or such as merely relate to the blessings
of this animal and perishing life. David, though the pro-
mises of the law had a continual reference to such, yet was
taught to look farther, and describes them as preferable to,
and therefore plainly distinct from, " the blessings of the
corn-floor or the wine-press." Psalm iv. 7. And if you
whom I am now addressing do not know them to be so,
it is plain you are quite ignorant of the subject we are in-
quiring into, and indeed have yet to learn the first lessons
of true religion. All that David says, of " beholding the
beauty of the Lord," (Psalm xxvii. 4.) or being " satisfied
as with marrow and fatness, when he remembered him
upon his bed," (Psalm Ixiii. 5, 6.) as well as " with the
goodness of his house, even of his holy temple," (Psalm
Ixv. 4.) is to be taken in the same sense, and can need
very little explication to the truly experienced soul. But
those who have known the light of God's countenance,
and the shinings of his face, will, in proportion to the de-
gree of that knowledge, be able to form some notion of the
hiding of his face, or the withdrawing of the tokens he has
given his people of his presence and favour, which some-
times greatly imbitters prosperity ; as, where the contrary
is found, it sweetens affliction, and often swallows up the
sense of it.

4. And give me leave to remind you, my Christian
friend, (for under that character I now address my reader,)
that to be thus deprived of the sense of God's love, and of
the tokens of his favour, may soon be the case with you,
though you may now have the pleasure to see the candle
of the Lord shining upon you, or though it may even seem
to be sunshine and high noon in your soul. You may lose
your lively views of the divine perfections and glory, in

Ch. 24.J HIDINGS OF god's face. 215

the contemplation of which you now find that inward sa-
tisfaction. You may think of the divine wisdom and power,
of the divine mercy and fidelity, as well as of his righte-
ousness and holiness, and feel little inward complacency
of soul in the view : it may be, with respect to any lively
impressions, as if it were the contemplation merely of a
common object. It may seem to you, as if you had lost all
idea of those important words, though the view has some-
times swallowed up your whole soul in transports of asto-
nishment, admiration, and love. You may lose your de-
lightful sense of the divine favour. It may be matter of
great and sad doubt with you, whether you do indeed be-
long to God ; and all the work of his blessed Spirit may
be so veiled and shaded in the soul, that the peculiar cha-
racters by which the hand of that sacred Agent might be
distinguished, shall be in a great measure lost ; and you
may be ready to imagine you have only deluded yourself
in all the former hopes you have entertained. In conse-
quence of this, those ordinances in which you now rejoice
may grow very uncomfortable to you, eVen when you do
indeed desire communion with God in them. You may
hear the most delightful evangelical truths opened, you
may hear the privileges of God's children most affection-
ately represented, and not be aware that you have any part
or lot in the matter, and from that very coldness and in-
sensibility may be drawing a farther argument, that you
have nothing to do with them. And then " your heart"
may " meditate terror," (Isaiah, xxxiii. 18.) and under the
distress that overwhelms you, your dearest enjoyments
may be reflected upon as adding to the weight of it, and
making it more sensible, while you consider that you had
once such a taste for these things, and have now lost it all.
So that perhaps it may seem to you, that they who never
felt any thing at all of religious impressions, are happier
than you, or at least are less miserable. You may, perhaps,
in these melancholy hours, even doubt whether you have
ever prayed at all, and whether all that you called your
enjoyment of God, was not some false delight, excited by
the great enemy of souls, to make you apprehend that your
state was good, that so you might continue his more secure
prey.

5. Such as this may be your case for a considerable time j

216 HIDINGS OF god's FACE. [Ch. 24,

and ordinances may be attended in vain, and the presence
of God may be in vain sought in them. You may pour out
your soul in private, and then come to public worship, and
find little satisfaction in either, but be forced to take up
the Psalmist's complaint, *' My God, I cry in the day-time,
but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not
silent;" (Psalm xxii. 2.) or that of Job, "Behold, I go
forward, but he is not there ; and backward, but I cannot
perceive him : on the left hand, where he doth work, but
I cannot behold him : he hideth himself on the right hand,
that I cannot see him." Job, xxiii. 8, 9. So that all which
looked like religion in your mind, shall seem as it were
to be melted into grief, or chilled into fear, or crushed into
a deep sense of your own unworthiness ; in consequence
of which, you shall dare not so much as to lift up your
eyes before God, and be almost ashamed to take your place
in a worshipping assembly among any that you think his
servants. I have known this to be the case of some excel-
lent Christians, whose improvements in religion have been
distinguished, and whom God hath honoured above many
of their brethren in what he hath done for them, and by
them. Give me leave, therefore, having thus described it,
to offer you some plain advice with regard to it; and let
not that be imputed to enthusiastic fancy, which proceeds
from an intimate and frequent view of facts on the one
hand, and from a sincere affectionate desire on the other,
to relieve the tender, pious heart, in so desolate a state. At
least I am persuaded the attempt will not be overlooked or
disapproved by " the great Shepherd of the sheep," (Heb.
xiii. 20. "i who has charged us to " comfort the feeble-mind-
ed." 1 Thess. V. 14.

6. And here I would first advise you most carefully to
inquire, whether your present distress does indeed arise
from causes which are truly spiritual. Or whether it may
not rather have its foundation in some disorder of the body,
or in the circumstances of life in which you are providen-
tially placed, which may break your spirits and deject your
mind. The influence of the inferior part of our nature on
the nobler, the immortal spirit, while we continue in this
embodied state, is so evident, that no attentive person can,
in the general, fail to observe it ; and yet there are cases,
in which it seems not to be sufficiently considered ; and

Ch. 24.] HIDINGS OF god's FACE. 217

perhaps your own may be one of them. The state of the
blood is often such, as necessarily to suggest gloomy ideas
even in dreams, and to indispose the soul for taking plea-
sure in any thing; and when it is so, why should it be
imagined to proceed from any peculiar divine displeasure,
if the soul does not find its usual delight in religion ? Or
why should God be thought to have departed from us, be-
cause he suffers natural causes to produce natural effects,
without opposing by miracle to break the connexion ^
When this is the case, the help of the physician is to be
sought, rather than that of the divine; or at least, by all
means, together with it; and medicine, diet, exercise, and
air, may in a few weeks effect what the strongest reason-
ings, the most pathetic exhortations or consolations, might
for many months have attempted in vain.

7. In other instances, the dejection and feebleness of
the mind may arise from something uncon^fortable in our
worldly circumstances. These may cloud as well as dis-
tract the thoughts, and imbitter tlie temper, and thus ren-
der us in a great degree unfit for religious services or plea-
sures ; and when it is so, the remedy is to be sought in
submission to Divine Providence, in abstracting our affec-
tions as far as possible from the present world, in a pru-
dent care to ease ourselves of the burden so far as we can,
by moderating unnecessary expenses, and by diligent ap-
plication to business, in humble dependence on the divine
blessing; in the mean time, endeavouring by faith to look
up to him, who somfetimes suffers his children to be brought
into such difficulties, that he may endear himself more sen-
sibly to them by the method he shall take for their relief.

8. On the principles here laid down, it may perhaps ap-
pear, on inquiry, that the distress complained of may have
a foundation very different from what was at first supposed.
But where the health is sound, and the circumstances easy,
when the animal spirits are disposed for gayety and enter-
tainment, while all taste for religious pleasure is in a man-
ner gone ; when the soul is seized with a kind of lethargic
insensibility, or what I had almost called a paralytic weak-
ness, with respect to every religious exercise, even thougK
there should not be that deep terrifying distress, or pun-
gent amazement, which I before represented as the effect
of melancholy, nor that anxiety about the accommodations

10

218 HIDINGS OF god's FACE. [Ch. 2^

of life, which strait circumstances naturally produce ; I
would in that case vary my advice, and urge you, "with all
possible attention and impartiality, to search into the cause
which has brought upon you that great evil under which
you justly mourn. And probably, in the general, the cause
is sin : some secret sin, which has not been discovered or
observed by the eye of the world ; for enormities that draw
on them the observation and censure of others, will pro-
bably fall under the case mentioned in the former chapter,
as they must be instances of known and deliberate guilt.
Now the eye of God hath seen these evils which have
escaped the notice of your fellow-creatures; and in con-
sequence of this care to conceal them from others, while
you could not but know they were open to him, God has
seen himself in a peculiar manner affronted and injured, I
had almost said insulted, by them ; and hence his righte-
ous displeasure. Oh ! let that never be forgotten, which
is so plainly said, so commonly known, so familiar to al-
most every religious ear, yet too little felt by any of our
hearts, " Four iniquities have separated between you and
your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that
he will not hear." Isaiah, lix. 1, 2. And this is, on the
whole, a merciful dispensation of God, though it may seem
severe : regard it not, therefore, merely as your calamity,
but as intended to awaken you, that you may not content
yourself, even with lying in tears of humiliation before the
Lord, but, like Joshua, rise and exert yourself vigorously,
to " put away from you that accursed thing," whatever it
be. Let this be your immediate and earnest care, that your
pride may be humbled, that your watchfulness may be main-
tained, that your affections to the world may be deadened,
and that, on the whole, your fitness for heaven may in
every respect be increased. These are the designs of your
heavenly Father, and let it be your great concern to co-
operate with them.

9. Receive it, therefore, on the whole, as the most im-
portant advice that can be given you, immediately to en-
ter on a strict examination of your conscience. Attend to
its gentlest whispers. If a suspicion arises in your mind,
that any thing has not been right, trace that suspicion,
search into every secret folding of your heart ; improve to
the purposes of a fuller discovery, the advice of your

Ch. 24.] HIDINGS OF god's face. 219

friends, the reproaches of your enemies ; recollect for
what your heart hath smitten you at the table of the Lord,
for what it would smite you if you were upon a dying bed,
and within this hour to enter ou eternity. When you have
made any discovery, note it down ; and go on in your
search, till you can say, these are the remaining corrup-
tions of my heart, these are the sins and follies of my life ;
this have I neglected; this have I done amiss. And when
the account is as complete as you can make it, set yourself
in the strength of God to a serious reformation, or rather
begin the reformation of every thing that seems amiss as
soon as ever you discover it : " return to the Almighty, and
thou shalt be built up ; put iniquity far from thy tabernacle,
and then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty,
and shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy
prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee ; thou shalt pay
thy vows unto him, and his light shall shine upon thy
ways." Job, xxii. 23, 26, 27.

10. In the mean time, be waiting for God with the deep-
est humility, and submit yourself to the discipline of )^our
heavenly Father, acknowledging his justice, and hoping in
his mercy; even when your conscience is least severe in
its remonstrances, and discovers nothing more than the
common infirmities of God's people ; yet still bow yourself
down before him, and own that, so many are the evils of
your best days, so many the imperfections of your best ser-
vices, that by them you have deserved all, and more than
all that you suffer : deserved, not only that your sun should
be clouded, but that it should go down, and arise no more,
but leave your soul in a state of everlasting darkness. And
while the shade continues, be not impatient. Fret not
yourself in any wise, but rather, with a holy calmness and
gentleness of soul, " wait on the Lord." Psalm xxxvii. 8,
34. Be willing to stay his time, willing to bear his frown,
in humble hope that he will at length " return and have
compassion on you." Jer. xii. 15. He has not utterly for-
gotten to be gracious, nor resolved that " he will be fa-
vourable no more." Psalm Ixxvii. 7, 9. " For the Lord
will not cast off for ever; but though he cause grief, yet
will he have compassion according to the multitude of his
mercies." Lam. iii. 31, 32. It is comparatively but "for
a small moment, that he hides his face from you j" but you

230 HIDINGS OF god's FACE. [Oh. 24.

may humbly hope, that with great mercies he will gather
you, and that " with everlasting kindness he will have
mercy on you." Isaiah, liv. 7, 8. These suitable words
are not mine, but his; and tliey wear this, as in the very
front of them, " That a soul, under the hidings of God's
face, may at last be one whom he will gather, and to whom
he will extend everlasting favour."

11. But while the darkness continues, "go on in the
way of your duty." Continue the use of means and ordi-
nances : read and meditate : pray, yes, and sing the praises
of God too, though it may be with a heavy heart. Follow
the " footsteps of his flock ;" (Cant. i. 8.) you may per-
haps meet the Shepherd of souls in doing it. Place your-
self at least in his way. It is possible you may by this
means get a kind look from him ; and one look, one turn
of thought, which may happen in a moment, may, as it
were, create a heaven in your soul at ones. Go to the
table of the Lord. If you cannot rejoice, go and mourn
there. Go and " mourn for that Saviour, whom," by your
sms, " you have pierced :" (Zech. xii. 10.) go and lament
the breaches of that covenant which you have there so
often confirmed. Christ may perhaps make himself known
unto you " in the breaking of the bread," (Luke, xxiv. 35.)
and you may find, to your surprise, that he hath been near
you, when you imagined he was at the greatest distance
from you ; near you, when yc'_ thought you were " cast
out from his presence." Seek your comfort in such enjoy-
ments as these, and not in the vain amusements of this
w^orld, and in the pleasures of sense. I shall never forget
that affectionate expression, which I am well assured broke
out from an eminently pious heart, then almost ready to
break under its sorrows of this kind : " Lord, if I may
not enjoy thee, let me enjoy nothing else ; but go down
mourning after thee to the grave !" I wondered not to
hear, that, almost as soon as the sentiment had been
breathed out before God in prayer, the burden was taken
off, and " the joy of God's salvation restored."

12. I shall add but one advice more, and that is, that
" you renew your application to the blood of Jesus, through
^vhora the reconciliation between God and your soul has
been accomplished." It is he that is our peace, and by
his blood it is that " we are made nigh :" (Eph. ii. 13, 14.)

Ch. 24.A HIDINGS OF god's face. 221

it is in him, as the beloved of his soul, that God declares
he is well pleased, (Matt. iii. 17.) and it is in him that
" we are made accepted, to the glory of his grace." Eph.
i. 6. Go, therefore, 0 Christian, and apply by faith to a
crucified Saviour : go, and apply to him, as to a merciful
high-priest, " and pour out thy complaint before him, and
show before him thy trouble." Psalm cxlii. 2. Lay open
the distress and anguish of t^y so«l to him, who once knew
what it was to say, (0 astonishing, that He should ever
have said it!) " My God ! my God ! why hast thou for-
saken me .^" Matt, xxvii. 46. Look up for pity and relief
to him, who himself suffered, being not only tempted, but,
with regard to sensible manifestations, deserted, that he
might thus know how to pity those that uie in such u me-
lancholy case, and be ready, as well as able, " to succour
them." Heb. ii. 18. He is " Lnmanuel, God with us,"
(Matt. i. 23.) and it is only in and through him that his
Father shines forth upon us with the mildest beams of
mercy and of love. Let it be therefore your immediate
care to renew your acquaintance with him. Review the
records of his life and death; hear his words; behold his
actions ; and when you do so, surely you will feel a secret
sweetness diffusing itself over your soul. You will be
brought into a calm, gentle, silent frame, in which faith
and love will operate powerfully, and God may probably
cause " the still small voice" of his comforting Spirit to be
heard, (1 Kings, xix. 12.) till your soul burst out into a
song of praise, and you are '' made glad according to the
days in which you have been afflicted." Psalm xc. 15. In
the mean time, such language as the following supplica-
tion speaks, may be suitable.

An humble Supplication for one under the Hidings of God^s Face.

" Blessed God ! 'with thee is the fountain of life' and
of happiness. Psalm xxxvi. 9. I adore thy name that I
have ever tasted of thy streams ; that I have ever had the
peculiar pleasure arising from the light of thy countenance,
and the shedding abroad of thy love in my soul. But,
alas ! these delightful seasons are now to me no more ; and
the remembrance of them engages me to ' pour out my soul
within me.' Psalm xlii. 4. I would come, as I have for-

222 HIDINGS OF god's FACE. [Ch. 24.

merly done, and call thee, with the same endearment, * my
Father and my God ;' but, alas ! I know not how to doit.
Guilt and fear arise, and forbid the delightful language. I
seek thee, 0 Lord ! but I seek in vain. I would pray, but
my lips are sealed up. I would read thy word, but all the
promises of it are veiled from mine eyes. I frequent those
ordinances which have been formerly most nourishing and
comfortable to my soul, but, aU ' ! they are only the shadows
of ordinances: the substance is gone : the animating spirit
is fled, and leaves them now at best but the image of what
1 once knew them.

" But, Lord, hast ' thou cast off for ever, and wilt thou be
favourable no more ?' Psalm Ixxvii. 7. Hast thou in awful
judgment determined, that my soul must be left to a per-
petual winter, the sad emblem of eternal darkness ? In-
deed, I deserve it should be so. I acknowledge, 0 Lord!
I deserve to be cast away from thy presence with disdain,
to be sunk lower than I am, much lower : I deserve to
have ' the shadow of death upon my eyelids,' (Job, xvi. 16.)
and even to be surrounded with the thick gloom of the in-
fernal prison. But hast thou not raised multitudes, who
have ' deserved like me to be delivered into chains of
darkness,' (2 Pet. ii. 4.) to the vision of thy glory above,
where no cloud can ever interpose between thee and their
rejoicing spirits? ' Have mercy upon me, O Lord! have
mercy upon me !' Psalm cxxiii. .3. And though my in-
iquities have now justly ' caused thee to hide thy face from
me,' (Isa. lix. 2.) yet be thou rather pleased, agreeably to
the gracious language of thy word, ' to hide thy face from
my sins, and to blot out all my iniquities.' Psalm li. 9.
Cheer my heart with the tokens of thy returning favour,
and ' say unto my soul, I am thy salvation !' Psalm xxxv. 3.

" Remember, 0 Lord God ! remember that dreadful day,
in which Jesus thy dear Son endured what my sins have
deserved ! Remember that agony, in which he poured out
his soul before thee, and said, ' My God ! My God ! why
hast thou forsaken me ?' Matt, xxvii. 46. Did he not, 0
Lord ! endure all this, that humble penitents might through
him be brought near unto thee, and might behold thee with
pleasure, as their Father and their God ? Thus do I de-
sire to come unto thee. Blessed Saviour, art thou not ap-
pointed ' to give unto them that mourn in Zion, beauty for

Ch. 24.] HIDINGS OF god's face. 223

ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness?' Isaiah, Ixi. 3. 0 wash away
my tears, anoint my head with ' the oil of gladness, and
clothe me with the garments of salvation,' Isaiah, Ixi. 10.

" ' 0 that I knew where I might find thee !' Job, xxiii.
3. 0 that I knew what it is that hath engaged thee to de-
part from me ! I am ' searching and trying my ways :'
(Lam. iii. 40.) 0 that thou wouldst ' search me, and know
my heart; try me, and know my thoughts :' and if ' there be
any wicked way in me,' discover it, and ' lead me in the
way everlasting;'. (Psalm cxxxix. 23, 24.) in that way in
which I may find rest and peace 'for my soul,' (Jer. vi. 16.)
and feel the discoveries of thy love in Christ !

" 0 God ! ' who didst command the light to shine out of
darkness,' (2 Cor. iv. 6.) speak but the word, and light
shall dart into my soul at once ! * Open thou my lips, and
my mouth shall show forth thy praise,' (Psalm li. 15.)
shall burst out into a cheerful song, which shall display, be-
fore those whom my present dejections may have dis-
couraged, the pleasures and supports of religion !

" Yet, Lord, on the whole, I submit to thy will. If it is
thus that my faith must be exercised, by walking in darkness
for days, and months, and years to come, how long soever
they may seem, how long soever they may be, I submit.
Still will I adore thee as the ' God of Israel,' and the Sa-
viour, though ' thou art a God that hidest thyself,' Isaiah,
xlv. 15. Still will I ' trust in the name of the Lord, and stay
myself upon my God,' (Isaiah, 1. 10.) ' trusting in thee,
though thou slay me,' (Job, xiii. 15.) and 'waiting for thee,
more than they that watch for the morning, yea, more than
they that watch for the morning.' Psalm cxxx. 6. Perad-
venture ' in the evening time it may be light,' Zech. xiv. 7.
I know thou hast sometimes manifested thy compassion to
thy dying servants, and given them, in the lowest ebb of
their natural spirits, a full tide of divine glory ; thus turning
* darkness into light before them,' Isaiah, xlii. 16. So may
it please thee to gild 'the Valley of the Shadow of Death'
with the light of thy presence, when I am passing through
it, and to stretch forth ' thy rod and thy staff to comfort
me,' (Psalm xxiii. 4.) that my tremblings may cease, and
the gloom may echo with songs of praise ! But if it be thy
sovereign pleasure^ that distress and darkness should still

224 STRUGGLE UNDER AFFLICTION. [Ch. 25.

continue to the last motion of my pulse, and the last gasp
of my breath, O let it cease with the parting- struggle, and
bring me to that light which is sown for the righteous, and
to that gladness which is reserved 'for the upright in
heart:' (Psalm xcvii. 11.) to the unclouded regions of
everlasting splendour and joy, where the full anointings of
thy Spirit shall be poured out on all tl'^y people, and thou
wilt no more * hide thy face from any of them !' Ezek.
xxxix. 29.

" This, Lord, is ' thy salvation for which I am waiting,'
(Gen. xlix. 18.) and whilst I feel the desires of my soul
drawn out after it, I will never despair of obtaining it.
Continue and increase those desires, and at length satisfy
and exceed them all, ' through the riches of thy grace in
Christ Jesus !' Amen."

CHAPTER XXV.

THE CHRISTIAN STRUGGLING UNDER GREAT AND HEAVY AFFLICTIONS,

1, Here it is advised — that afflictions should he expected. — 2. That the
righteous hand of God should be acknowledged in them when they
come. — 3. That they should be home toith patience. — 4. That the divine
conduct in them sliould be cordially approved. — 5. That thankfulness
should be maintained in the midst of trials. — 6. That the design of af-
flictions should be diligently inquired into, and all proper assistance
taken in discovering it. — 7. That, when it is discovered, it should hum-
bly be complied with and answered. A pi-ay er suited to such a case.

1.' Since "man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly
upward," (Job, v. 7.) and Adam has entailed on all his
race the sad inheritance of calamity in their way to death,
it will certainly be prudent and necessary, that we should
all expect to meet with trials and afflictions ; and that you,
reader, whoever you are, should be endeavouring to gird
on your armour, and put yourself in a posture to encounter
those trials which will fall to your lot as a man and a Chris-
tian. Prepare yourself to receive your afflictions, and to
endure them, in a manner agreeable to both these characters.
In this view, when you see others under the burden, con-
sider how possible it is that you may be called out to the
very same difficulties, or to others equal to them. Put your

Ch. 25.] STRUGGLE UNDER AFFLICTION. 225

soul as in the place of theirs. Think how you could en-
dure the load under which they lie; and endeavour at
once to comfort them, and to strengthen your own heart,
or rather pray that God would do it. And observing how
liable mortal life is to such sorrows, moderate your expec-
tations from it; raise your thoughts above it; and form
your schemes of happiness only for that world, where they
cannot be disappointed ; in the mean time, blessing God
that your prosperity is lengthened out thus far, and ascrib-
ing it to his special providence that you continue so long
Tinwounded, when so many showers of arrows are flying
around you, and so many are falling by them, on the right
hand and on the left.

2. When at length your turn comes, as it certainly will,
from the first hour in which an affliction seizes you, realize
to yourself the hand of God in it, and lose not the view of
him in any second cause, which may have proved the im-
mediate occasion. Let it be your first care, to "humble
yourself under the mighty hand of God, Aat he may exalt
you in due time." 1 Pet. v. 6. Own that " he is just in all
that is brought upon you," (Neh. ix. 33.) and that in all
these things "he punishes you less than your iniquities
deserve." Ezra, ix. 13. Compose yourself to bear his hand
with patience, to glorify his name by a submission to his
will, and to fall in with the gracious design of this visita-
tion, as well as to wait the issue of it quietly, whatsoever
the event may be.

' 3. Now, that " patience may have its perfect work,"
(James, i. 4.) reflect frequently, and deeply, upon your own
unworthiness and sinfulness. Consider how often every
mercy has been forfeited, and every judgment deserved.
And consider, too, how long the patience of God hath
borne with you, and how wonderfully it is still exerted to-
ward you; and indeed, not only his patience, but his
bounty too. Afflicted as you are, (for I speak to you now
as actually under the pressure,) look around and survey
your remaining mercies, and be gratefully sensible of
them. Make the supposition of their being removed :
what if God should stretch out his hand against you, and
add poverty to pain, or pain to poverty, or the loss of friends
to both, or the death of surviving friends to that of those
whom you are now mourning over ; would not the wound
10*

226 STRUGGLE UNDER AFFLICTION. [Ch. 25.

be more grievous ? Adore his goodness that this is not the
case ; and take heed lest your uuthankfulness should pro-
voke him to multiply your sorrows. Consider also the
need you have of discipline, how wholesome it may prove
to your soul, and what merciful designs our Heavenly Fa-
ther has in all the corrections he sends upon his children.

4. Nay, I will add, that, in consequence of all these
considerations, it may be well expected, not only that you
should submit to your afflictions, as what you cannot avoid,
but that you should sweetly acquiesce in them, and ap-
prove them ; that you should not only justify, but glorify
God in sending them ; that you should glorify him with
your heart and with your lips too. Think not praises un-
suitable on such an occasion ; nor that praise alone to be
suitable, which takes its rise from remaining comforts ; but
know that it is your duty, not only to be thankful in your
afflictions, but to be thankful on account of them.

5. God himself has said, " In every thing give thanks,"
(1 Thess. v. 18.) and he has taught his servants to say,
*' Yea, also we glory in tribulation." Rom. v. 3. And
most certain it is, that to true believers afflictions are to-
kens of divine mercy ; for " whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth,"
with peculiar and distinguishing endearment. Heb. xii. 6.
View your present afflictions in this light, as chastisements
of love ; and then let your own heart say, whether love
does not demand praise. Think with yourself, " It is thus
that God is making me comfortable to his own Son ; it is
thus that he is training me up for complete glory. Thus
he kills my corruptions ; thus he strengthens my graces ;
thus he is w isely contriving to bring me nearer to himself,
and to ripen me for the honours of his heavenly kingdom.
It is, if need be, that ' I am in heaviness,' (1 Pet. i. 6.)
and he surely knows what that need is better than I can
pretend to teach him, and knows what peculiar propriety
there is in this affliction to answer ray present necessity,
and to do me that peculiar good which he is graciously in-
tending me by it. This tribulation shall ' work patience,
and patience experience, and experience' a more assured
* hope,' even a hope which ' shall not make ashamed,'
while ' the love of God is shed abroad in my heart,' Rom.
V. 3—5.) and shines through my affliction, like the sun

Ch. 25.] STRUGGLE UNDER AFFLICTION. 227

through a gentle descending cloud, darting in light upon
the shade, and mingling fruitfulness with weeping."

6. Let it be then your earnest care, while you thus look
on your affliction, whatever it may be, as coming from the
hand of God, to improve it to the purposes for which it was
sent. And that you may so improve it, let it be your first
concern to know what those purposes are. Summon up
all the attention of your soul to bear the rod, and him
" w^ho hath appointed it," (Mic. vi. 9.) and pray earnestly
that you may understand its voice. Examine your life,
your words, and your heart; and pray that God would so
guide your inquiries, that you may " return unto the Lord
that smiteth you." Isaiah, ix. 13. To assist you in this,
call in the help of pious friends, and particularly of your
minister : entreat not only their prayers, but their advice
too, as to the probable design of Providence ; and encou-
rage them freely to tell you any thing which occurs to
their minds upon this head. And if such an occasion
should lead them to touch upon some of the imperfections
of your character and conduct, look upon it as a great to-
ken of their friendship, and take it, not only patiently, but
thankfully. It does but ill become a Christian, at any
time, to resent reproofs and admonitions; and least of all
does it become him, when the rebukes of his Heavenly
Father are upon him. He ought rather to seek admoni-
tions at such a time as this, and voluntarily offer his wounds
to be searched by a faithful and skilful hand.

7. And when, by one means or another, you have got a
ray of light to direct you in the meaning and language of
such dispensations, take heed that you do not, in any de-
gree, " harden yourself against God, and walk contrary to
him." Lev. xxvi. 27. Obstinate reluctance to the appre-
hended design of any providential stroke, is inexpressibly
provoking to him. Set yourself, therefore, to an imme-
diate reformation of whatever you discover amiss, and la-
bour to learn the general lessons of greater submission to
God's will, of a more calm iildifFerence to the world, and
of a closer attachment to divine converse, and to the views
of an approaching invisible state. And whatever particu-
lar proportion or correspondence you may observe between
this or that circumstance in your affliction and your former
transgressions, be especially careful to act according to that

228 PRAYER UNDER AFFLICTION. [Ch. 25.

more peculiar and express voice of the rod. Then you
may perhaps have speedy and remarkable reasons to say,
that " it hath been good for you that you have been afflict-
ed," (Psalm cxix. 71.) and, with a multitude of others, may
learn to number the times of your sharpest trials among
the sweetest and the most exalted moments of your life.
For this purpose, let prayer be your frequent employment;
and let such sentiments as these, if not in the very same
terms, be often and affectionately poured out before God.

An humble Address to God under the Pressure of heavy Affliction.

"O thou Supreme, yet all-righteous and gracious Go-
vernor of the whole universe ! mean and inconsiderable as
this little province of thy spacious empire may appear, thou
dost not disregard the earth and its inhabitants, but attend-
est to its concerns with the most condescending and gra-
cious regard. ' Thou reignest, and I rejoice in it ;' as it is
indeed 'matter of universal joy.' Psalm xcvii. 1. I be-
lieve thy universal providence and care ; and I firmly be-
lieve thy wise, holy, and kind interposition in every thing
■which relates to me, and to the circumstances of my abode
in this world. I would look through all inferior causes
unto thee, whose eyes are upon all thy creatures ; to thee,

* who formest light and Greatest darkness ;' who ' makest
peace and createst evil;' (Isaiah, xlv. 7.) to thee, Lord,
who at thy pleasure canst exchange the one for the other,
canst turn the brightest noon into midnight, and the dark-
est midnight into noon !

" 0 thou wise and merciful Governor of the world ! I
have often said, ' Thy will be done ;' and now, thy will is
painful to me. But shall I upon that account unsay what
I have so often said ? ' God forbid !' I come rather to lay
myself down at thy feet, and to declare my full and free
submission to all thy sacred pleasure. 0 Lord ! thou art
just and righteous in all ! I acknowledge, in thy venerable
and awful presence, that 'I have deserved this,' and ten
thousand times more. Ezra, ix. 13. I acknowledge, that

* it is of thy mercy that I am not utterly consumed,' (Lam.
iii. 22.) and that any, the least degree, of comfort yet re-
mains. O Lord ! I most readily confess, that the sins of
ci>e day of my life have merited all thes.e chastisements ;

Ch. 25.] PRAYER UNDER AFFLICTION. 229

and that every day of my life has been more or less sinful.
Smite, therefore, 0 thou Righteous Judge ! and I will still
adore thee, that, instead of the scourge, thou hast not given
a commission to the sword, to do all the dreadful work of
justice, and to pour out my blood in thy presence.

" But shall I speak unto thee only as my Judge ? O
Lord ! thou hast taught me a tenderer naiwe : thou conde-
scendest to call thyself my Father, and to speak of correc-
tion as the effect of thy love. 0 welcome, welcome, those
afflictions, which are the tokens of thy paternal affection,
the marks of my adoption into thy family ! Thou knowest
what discipline I need. Thou seest, O Lord ! that bundle
of folly which there is in the heart of thy poor, froward, and
thoughtless child, and knowest what rods and what strokes
are needful to drive it away. I would therefore ' be in
humble subjection to the Father of spirits,' who ' chas-
teneth me for my profit;' would ' be in subjection to him
and live,' Heb. xii. 9, 10. I would bear thy strokes,
not merely because I cannot resist them, but because I
love and trust in thee. I would sweetly acquiesce and
rest in thy. w^ill, as well as stoop to it ; and would say,
'■ Good is the word of the Lord ;' (2 Kings, xx. 19.) and I
desire that not only my lips, but my soul may acquiesce.
Yea, Lord, I would praise thee, that thou wilt show so much
regard to me as to apply such remedies as these to the
diseases of my mind, and art thus kindly careful to train
me up for glory. I have no objection against being afflict-
ed, against being afflicted in this particular way. ' The cup
which my Father puts into my hand, shall I not drink it ?'
John, xviii. 11. . By thine assistance and support I will.
Only be pleased, 0 Lord ! to stand by me, and sometimes to
grant me a favourable look in the midst of my sufferings !
Support my soul, I beseech thee, by thy consolations min-
gled with my tribulations, and I shall glory in those tribu-
lations that are thus allayed ! It has been the experi-
ence of many, who have reflected on afflicted days with
pleasure, and have acknowledged that their comforts have
swallowed up their sorrows. And after all that thou hast
done, * are thy mercies restrained .?' Isaiah, Ixiii. 15. ' Is
thy hand waxed short .^' Numb. xi. 25. Or canst thou not
do the same for me ?

" If my heart be less tender, less sensible, thou canst

230 PRAYER UNDER AFFLICTION. [Cll. 25.

cure that disorder, and canst make this affliction the means
of curing it. Tlius let it be ; and at length, in thine own
due time, and in the way which thou shalt choose, work
out deliverance for me, ' and show me thy marvellous lov-
ing-kindness, 0 thou that savest by thy right hand them
that put their trust in thee!' Psalm xvii. 7. For I well
know, that, how dark soever this night of affliction may
seem, if thou sayest, * Let there be light,' there shall be
light. But I would urge nothing before the time thy wis-
dom and goodness shall appoint. I am much more con-
cerned that my afflictions may be sanctified, than that they
may be removed. Number me, 0 God ! among the happy
persons, whom, whilst thou chastenest, thou ' teachest
out of thy law !' Psalm xciv. 12. Show me, I beseech
thee, ' wherefore thou contendest with me,' (Job, x. 2.)
and purify me by the fire, which is so painful to me while
I am passing through it ! Dost thou not chasten thy chil-
dren for this very end, ' that they may be partakers of thy
holiness ?' Heb. xii. 10. Thou knowest, 0 God ! it is this
my soul is breathing after. I am partaker of thy bounty
every day and moment of my life : I am partaker of thy
Gospel, and I hope, in some measure too, a partaker of the
grace of it operating on my heart. 0 may it operate more
and more, that I may largely partake of thine holiness too;
that I may come nearer and nearer in the temper of my
mind to thee, 0 blessed God ! the supreme model of per-
fection ! Let my soul be, as it w^ere, melted, though with
the intensest heat of the furnace, if I may but thereby be
made fit for being delivered into the mould of thy Gospel,
and bearing thy bright and amiable image !

" 0 Lord, ' my soul longeth for thee ; it crieth out for
the living God !' Psalm Ixxxiv. 2. In thy presence, and
under the support of thy love, I can bear any thing; and
am willing to bear it, if I may grow more lovely in thine
eyes, and more meet for thy kingdom. The days of my
affliction will have an end ; the hour will at length come,
when thou ' wilt wipe away all my tears,' Rev. xxi. 4.
* Though it tarry,' I would ' Avait for it.' Heb. ii. 3. My
foolish heart, in the midst of all its trials, is ready to grow
fond of this earth, disappointing and grievous as it is ; and
graciously, 0 God, dost thou deal with me, in breaking
those bonds that would tie me faster to it. 0 let my soul

Ch. 26.] GROWTH IN GRACE. 231

be girding itself up, and as it were, stretching its wings in
expectation of that blessed hour, when it shall drop all its
sorrows and incumbrances at once, and soar away, to ex-
patiate with infinite delight in the regions of liberty, peace,
and joy. Amen."

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE CHRISTIAN ASSISTED IX EXAMINING INTO HIS GROWTH IN GRACE.

1. Tlie examination important. — 2. False marks of growth to he avoid-
ed.— 3. True marks proposed ; such as — increasing love to God. — 4.
Benevolence to men. — 5. Candour of disposition. — 6. Meekness
under injuries. — 7. Serenity amids* the uncertainties of life. — 8.
Humility, — 9. especially as expressed in evangelical exercises of"
mind toward Christ and the Holy Spirit. — 10. Zeal for the divine
honour. — 11. Habitual and cheerful willingness to exchange worlds
lohenever God shall appoint. — 12. Conclusion. Tlie Christian
breathing after growth in grace.

1. If by divine grace you have " been born again, not of
corruptible^seed, but of incorruptible," (1 Pet. i. 2, 3.) even
" by that word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever,"
not only in the world and the church, but in particular
souls in which it is sown ; you will, " as new-born babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow
thereby." 1 Pet. ii. 2. And though, in the most advanced
state of religion on earth, we are but infants in comparison
of what we hope to be, when, in the heavenly world, we
arrive " unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature
of the fulness of Christ," (Eph. iv. 13.) yet, as we hav^e
some exercise of a sanctified reason, we shall be solicitous
that we may be growing and thriving. And you, my reader,
*' if so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious,"
(1 Pet. ii. 3.) will, I doubt not, feel this solicitude. I would
therefore endeavour to assist you in making the inquiry,
whether religion be on the advance in your soul. And
here I shall warn you against some false marks of growth,
and then shall endeavour to lay down others on which you
may depend as more solid. In this view I would observe,
that you are not to measure your growth in grace, only or
chiefly by your advances in knowledge, or in zeal, or any-
other passionate impression of the mind, no, nor by the fer-
vour of devotion alone ; but by the habitual determination

232 GROWTH IN GRACE. [Ch. 26.

of the will for God, and by your prevailing disposition to
obey his commands, submit to his disposal, and promote
the highest welfare of his cause in the earth.

2. It must be allowed, that knowledge and affection in
religion are indeed desirable. Without some degree of the
former, religion cannot be rational ; and it is very reasona-
ble to believe, that without some degree of the latter it can-
not be sincere, in creatures whose natures are constituted
like ours. Yet there may be a great deal of speculative
knowledge, and a great deal of rapturous affection, where
there is no true religion at all ; and still more, where re-
ligion exists, though there be no advanced state of it.
The exercise of our rational faculties, upon the evidences
of divine revelation, and upon the declaration of it as
contained in Scripture, may furnish a very wicked man
with a well- digested body of orthodox divinity in his head,
when not one single doctrine of it has ever reached his
heart. An eloquent description of the sufferings of Christ,
of the solemnities of judgment, of the joys of the blessed,
and the miseries of the damned, might move the breast even
of a man who did not firmly believe them ; as we often
find ourselves strongly moved by well-wrought narrations
or discourses, which at the same time we know to have
their foundation in fiction. Natural constitution, or such
accidental causes as are (some of them) too low to be here
mentioned, may supply the eyes with a flood of tears, which
may discharge itself plenteously upon almost any occasion
that shall first arise. And a proud impatience of contra-
diction, directly opposite as it is to the gentle spirit of
Christianity, may make a man's blood boil when he hears
the notions he has entertained, and especially those which
he has openly and vigorously espoused, disputed and op-
posed. This may possibly lead him, in terms of strong in-
dignation, to pour out his zeal and his rage before God, in
a fond conceit, that, as the God of truth, he is the pattern
of those favourite doctrines, by whose fair appearances per-
haps he himself is misled. And if these speculative re-
finements, or these affectionate sallies of the mind, be con-
sistent with a total absence of true religion, they are much
more apparently consistent with a very low state of it. I
would desire to lead you, my friend, into sublimer notions
and juster marks, and refer you to other practical writers,

Ch. 26. J GROWTH IN GRACE. 233

and, above all, to the book of God, to prove how material
they are. I would therefore entreat you to bring your own
heart to answer, as in the presence of God, such inquiries
as these :

3. Do you find " divine love, on the whole, advancing
in your soul ?" Do you feel yourself more and more sen-
sible of the presence of God? and does that sense grow
more delightful to you than it formerly was ? Can you,
even when your natural spirits are weak and low, and you
are not in any frame for the ardours and ecstacies of de-
votion, nevertheless find a pleasing rest, a calm repose of
heart, in the thought that God is near you, and that he
sees the secret sentiments of your soul, while you are, as
it were, labouring up the hill, and casting a longing eye
toward him, though you cannot say you enjoy any sensi-
ble communications from him ? Is it agreeable to you to
open your heart to his inspection and regard, to present it
to him laid bare of every disguise, and to say with David,
*' Thou, Lord, knowest thy servant?" 2 Sam. vii. 20. Do
you find a growing esteem and approbation of that sacred
law of God, which is the transcript of his moral perfec-
tions? Do you inwardly " esteem all his precepts concern-
ing all things to be right?" Psalm cxix. 128. Do you dis-
cern, not only the necessity, but the reasonableness, the
beauty, the pleasure of obedience ; and feel a growino-
scorn and contempt of those things which may be offered
as the price of your innocence, and would tempt you to
sacrifice or hazard your interest in the divine favour and
friendship ? Do you find an ingenuous desire to please
God, not only because he is so powerful, and has so many
good and so many evil things entirely at his command,
but from a veneration of his most amiable nature and cha-
racter ? and do you find your heart habitually reconciled
to a most humble subjection, both to his commanding and
to his disposing will ? Do you perceive, that your own
will is now more ready and disposed, in every circum-
stance, to bear the yoke, and to submit to the divine de-
termination, whatever he appoints lo be borne or forborne?
Can you "in patience possess your soul ?" Luke, xxi. 19.
Can you maintain a more steady calmness and serenity,
when God is striking at your dearest enjoyments in this
world, and acting most directly contrary to your present

234 GROWTH IN GRACE. [Ch. 26

interests, to your natural passions and desires ? If you can,
it is a most certain and noble sign that grace is growing up
in you to a very vigorous state.

4. Examine also, " what affections you find in your
heart toward those who are about you, and toward the
rest of mankind in general." Do you find your heart over-
flow with undissembled and unrestrained benevolence ?
Are you more sensible than you once were, of those most
endearing bonds which unite all men, and especially all
Christians, into one community ; which make them bre-
thren and fellow-citizens? Do all the unfriendly passions
die and wither in your soul, while the kind, social affec-
tions grow and strengthen ? And though self-love was
never the reigning passion since you became a true Chris-
tian ; yet, as some remainders of it are still too ready to
work inwardly, and to show themselves, especially as sud-
den occasions arise, do you perceive that you are getting
ground of them ? Do you think of yourself only as one of
a great number, whose particular interests and concerns
are of little importance when compared with those of th»2
community, and ought by all means, on all occasions, to
be sacrificed to them ?

5. Reflect especially " on the temper of your mind to-
ward those, whom an unsanctified heart might be ready
to imagine it had some just excuse for excepting out of the
list of those it loves, and from whom you are ready to feel
some secret alienation or aversion." How does your mind
stand affected toward those who differ from you in their
religious sentiments and practices ? I do not say, that Chris-
tian charity will require you to think every error harmless.
It argues no want of love to a friend, in some cases, to fear
lest his disorder should prove more fatal than he seems to
imagine : nay, sometimes the very tenderness of friendship
may increase that apprehension. But to hate persons be-
cause we think they p,re mistaken, and to aggravate every
difference in judgment or practice into a fatal and damna-
ble error, that destroys all Christian communion and love,
is a symptom generally much worse than the evil it con-
demns. Do you love the image of Christ in a person, who
thinks himself obliged in conscience to profess and wor-
ship in a manner different from yourself? Nay, farther,
can you love and honour that which is truly amiable and

Ch. 26.] GROWTH IN GRACE. 235

excellent in those in whom much is defective ; in those in
whom there is a mixture of bigotry and narrowness of
spirit, which may lead them perhaps to slight, or even to
censure you ? Can you love them, as the disciples and
servants of Christ, who through a mistaken zeal may be
ready to " cast out your name as evil," (Luke, vi. 22.) and
to warn others against you as a dangerous person ? This
is none of the least triumphs of charity, nor any despicable
evidence of an advance in religion.

6. And, on this head, reflect farther, " How can you
bear injuries ?" There is a certain hardness of soul in
this respect, which argues a confirmed state in piety and
virtue. Does every thing of this kind hurry and ruffle you,
so as to put you on contrivances how you may recompense,
or, at least, how you may disgrace and expose him who
has done you the wrong ? Or can you stand the shock
calmly, and easily divert your mind to other objects, only
(when you recollect these things) pitying and praying for
those who with the worst tempers and views are assault-
ing you ? This is a Christ-like temper, indeed, and he
will own it as such ; will own you as one of his soldiers,
as one of his heroes; especially if it rises so far, as, instead
of being " overcome of evil, to overcome evil with good."
Rom. xii. 21. Watch over your spirit and over your tongue,
when injuries are offered, and see whether you be ready to
meditate upon them, to aggravate them in your own view,
to complain of them to others, and to lay on all the load of
blame that you in justice can ; or, whether you be ready
to put the kindest construction upon the offence, to excuse
it as far as reason will allow, and (where, after all, it will
wear a black and odious aspect) to forgive it, heartily to
forgive it, and that even before any submission is made, or
pardon asked ; and in token of the sincerity of that for-
giveness, to be contriving what can be done, by some
benefit or other toward the injurious person, to teach him
a better temper.

7. Examine farther, '' with regard to other evils and
calamities of life, and even with regard to its uncertain-
ties, how you can bear them." Do you find your soul
is in this respect gathering strength ? Have you fewer
foreboding fears and disquieting alarms than you once
had, as to what may happen in life ? Can you trust the

236 GROWTH IN GRACE. [Ch. 26.

wisdom and goodness of God, to order your affairs for
you, with more complacency and cheerfulness than for-
merly ? Do you find yourself able to unite your thoughts
more in surveying present circumstances, that you may
collect immediate duty from them, though you know not
what God will next appoint or call you to ? And when
you feel the smart of affliction, do you make a less matter
of it ? Can you transfer your heart more easily to heavenly
and divine objects, without an anxious solicitude, whether
this or that burden be removed, so it may but be sanctified
to promote your communion with God and your ripeness
for glory ?

8. Examine also, " whether you adv^ance in humility."
This is a silent, but most excellent grace ; and they who
are niQst eminent in it, are dearest to God, and most fit for
the communications of his presence to them. Do you then
feel your mind more emptied of proud and haughty imagi-
nations, not prone so much to look back upon past servi-
ces which it has performed, as forward to those which arc
yet before you, and inward upon the remaining imperfec-
tions of your heart? Do you more tenderly obser' ^ jour
daily failures and miscarriages, and find yourself disposed
to mourn over those things before the Lord, that once pass-
ed with you as slight matters, though, when you come to
survey them as in the presence of God, you find they were
not wholly involuntary or free from guilt ? Do you feel in
your breast a deeper apprehension of the .infinite majesty
of the blessed God, and of the glory of his natural and mo-
ral perfections, so as, in consequence of these views, to
perceive yourself, as it were, annihilated in his presence,
and to shrink into "less than nothing, and vanity.?" Isaiah,
xl. 17. If this be your temper, God will look upon you
with peculiar favour, and will visit you more and more
with the distinguishing blessings of his grace.

9. But there b another great branch and effect of Chris-
tian humility, Avhich it would be an unpardonable negli-
gence to omit. Let me therefore farther inquire, aie you
more frequently renewing your application, your sincere,
steady, determined application, to the righteousness and
blood of Christ, as being sensible how unworthy you are
to appear before God otherw^ise than in him ? And do the
remaining corruptions of your heart humble you before him,

Cll. 26.] GROWTH IN GRACE. 237

though the disorders of your life are in a great measure
cured ? Are you more earnest to obtain the quickening influ-
ences of the Holy Spirit? And have you such a sense of your
own weakness, as to engage you to depend, in all the du-
ties you perform, upon the communications of his grace " to
help your infirmities ?" Rom. viii. 26. Can you, at the close
of your most religious, exemplary, and useful days, blush
before God for the deficiencies of them, while others per-
haps may be ready to admire and extol your conduct ? And
while you give the glory of all that has been right to him,
froni whom the strength and grace has been derived, are
you coming to the blood of sprinkling, to free you from
the guilt which mingles itself even with the best of your
services ? Do you learn to receive the bounties of Provi-
dence, not only with thankfulness as coming from God,
but with a mixture of shame and confusion too, under a
consciousness that you do not deserve them, and are con-
tinually forfeiting them ? And do you justify Providence
in your afflictions and disappointraerts, even while many
are flourishing around you full in the doom of prosperity,
whose offences have been more visible at least, and more
notorious than yours ?

10. Do you also advance " in Keal and r.^tivity "" for tie
service of God, and the happiness of mankind ? Does yor*:
love show itself solid and sincere, by a continual ^.ow
of good works from it? Can you view the sorrows of oth-
ers with tender compassion, and with projects and contri-
vances what you may do to relieve them ? Do you feel in
your breast, that you are more frequently " devising liberal,
things," (Isaiah, xxxii. 8.) and ready to waive your own
advantage or pleasure that you may accomplish them ? Do
you find your imagination teeming, as it were, w^th con-
ceptions and schemes for the advancement of the cause
and interest of Christ in the world, for the propagation of
his Gospel, and for the happiness of your fellow-creatures ?
And do you not only pray, but act for it; act in such a
manner as to show that you pray in earnest, and feel a
readiness to do what little you can in this cause, eA^en
though others, who might, if they pleased, very conve-
niently do a vast deal more, will do nothing ?

11. And, not to enlarge upon this copious head, reflect
once more, " how your affections stand with regard to this

238 GROWTH IN GRACE. [Ch. 26.

world and another ?" Are you more deeply and practically
convinced of the vanity of these " things which are seen,
and are temporal ?" 2 Cor. iv. 18. Do you perceive your
expectations from them, and your attachments to them, to
diminish ? You are willing to stay in this world as long
as your Father pleases; and it is right and well; but do
you find your bonds so loosened to it, that you are willing,
heartily willing, to leave it at the shortest w arniiig ; so that
if God should see fit to summon you aw-.iy on a sudden,
though it should be in the midst of your enjoyments, pur-
suits, expectations, and hopes, you would cordially consent
to that remove, without saying, " Lord, let me stay a little
while longer, to enjoy this or that agreeable entertainment,
to finish this or that scheme ?" Can you think, with an
habitual calmness and hearty approbation, if such be the
divine pleasure, of waking no more when you lie down
on your bed, of returning home no more when you go
out of your house? And yet, on the other hand, how
great soever the burdens of life are, do you find a wil-
lingness to bear them, in submission to the will of your
heavenly Father, though it should be to many future years,
and though they should be years of far greater affliction
than you have ever yet seen ? Can you say calmly and
steadily, if not with such overflowings of tender affection
as you could desire, "Behold, 'thy servant,' thy child is
' in thine hand, do with me as seemeth good in thy sight!'
2 Sam. XV. 26. My will is melted into thine ; to be lifted
up or laid down, to be carried out or brought in, to be here
or there, in this or that circumstance, just as thou pleasest,
and as shall best suit with thy great extensive plan, Avhich
it is impossible that I, or all the angels in heaven, should
mend."

12. These, if I understand matters aright, are some of
the most substantial evidences of growth and establish-
ment in religion. Search after them : bless God for them,
so far as you discover them in yourself, and study to ad-
vance in them daily, under the influences of divine grace;
to which I heartily recommend you, and to which I en-
treat you frequently to recommend yourself.

The Christian breathing earnestly after Growth in Grace.

" O thou ever-blessed Fountain of natural and spiritual

Ch. 26. J GROWTH IN GRACE. 239

life . I thank thee that I live, and know the exercises and
pleasures of a religious life. I bless thee that thou hast
infused into me thine own vital breath, though I was once
^ dead in trespasses and sins,' (Eph. ii. 1.) so that I am
become, in a sense peculiar to thine own children, ' a liv-
ing soul.' Gen. ii. 7. But it is my earnest desire, that I
may not only live, but grow, ' grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,' (2 Pet.
iii. 18.) upon an acquaintance with whom my progress in
it so evidently depends. In this view, I humbly entreat
thee, that thou wilt form my mind to right notions in reli-
gion, that I may not judge of grace by any wrong concep-
tions of it, nor measure my advances in it by those things
which are merely the effects of nature, and possibly its
corrupt effects !

" May I be seeking after an increase of divine love to
thee, my God and Father in Christ, of unreserved resig-
nation to thy wise and holy will, and of extensive bene-
volence to my fellow-creatures ! May I grow in patience
and fortitude of soul, in humility and zeal, in spirituality
and a heavenly disposition of mind, and in a concern, ' that,
whether present or absent, I may be accepted of the Lord,'
(2 Cor. V. 9.) that whether I live or die, it may be for thy
glory. In a word, as thou knowest I hunger and thirst
after righteousness, make me whatever thou wouldst de-
light to see me ! Draw on my soul, by the gentle influ-
ences of thy gracious Spirit, every trace, and every fea-
ture, which thine eye, O Heavenly Father, may survey
with pleasure, and which thou mayest acknowledge as
thine own image.

" I am sensible, O Lord, I have not as yet attained,
yea, my soul is utterly confounded to think how far I am
from being already perfect; but this one thing (after thy
great example of thine apostle) I would endeavour to do :
* forgetting the things which are behind, I would press
forward to those which are before.' Phil. iii. 12, 13. 0
that thou wouldst feed my soul by thy word and Spirit I
Having been, as I humbly hope and trust, regenerated by
it, ' being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incor-
ruptible, even by thy word, which liveth and abideth for
ever;' (1 Pet. i. 23.) 'as a new-born babe, I desire the
sincere milk of the word, that I may grow thereby.' 1 Pet

240 GRATEFUL JOY IN GOD. [Ch. 27.

ii. 2. And may * my profiting appear unto all men,' (1 Tim.
iv. 15.) till at length ' I come unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ,' (Eph.
iv. 13.) and after having enjoyed the pleasure of those
that flourish eminently in thy courts below, be fixed in
the paradise above ! I ask and hope it through our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ ; ' to him be glory, both now and
for ever !' 2 Pet. iii. 18. Amen."

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE ADVANCED CHRISTIAN REMINDED OF THE MERCIES OF GOD, AND
EXHORTED TO THE EXERCISE OF HABITUAL LOVE TO HIM, AND JOY
IN HIM.

1. A holy joy in God, our privilege as well as our duty. — 2. The
Christian invited to the exercise of it. — 3. By the consideration of
temporal mercies. — 4. And of spiritual favours. — b. By the views
of eternal happiness. — 6. And of the mercies of God to others, the
living and the dead. — 7. The chapter closes with an exhortation to
this heavenly exercise. And with an example of the genuine work-
ings of this grateful joy in God.

1. I WOULD now suppose my reader to find, on an ex-
amination of his spiritual state, that he is growing in grace.
And if you desire that this growth may at once be acknow-
ledged and promoted, let me call your soul " to that more
affectionate exercise of love to God and joy in him," which
suits, and strengthens, and exalts the character of the ad-
vanced Christian ; and which I beseech you to regard, not
only as your privilege, but as your duty too. Love is the
most sublime, generous principle, of all true and accept-
able obedience ; and with love, v^ hen so wisely and hap-
pily fixed, when so certainly returned, joy, proportionable
JOY, must naturally be connected. It may justly grieve a
man that enters into the spirit of Christianity, to see how-
low a life even the generality of sincere Christians com-
monly live in this respect. " Rejoice then in the Lord, ye
righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of his ho-
liness," (Psalm xcvii. 12.) and of all those other perfec-
tions and glories, which are included in that majestic, that
wonderful, that delightful name. The Lord thy God !
Spend not your sacred moments merely in confession or

Ch. 27.] GRATEFUL JOY IN GOD. 241

in petition, though each must have their daily share ; but
give a part, a considerable part, to the celestial and angelic
work of praise. Yea, labour to carry about with you con-
tinually a heart overflowing with such sentiments, warmed
and inflamed with such affections.

2. Are there not continually rays enough diffused from
the great Father of light and love to enkindle it in our bo-
som ? Come, my Christian friend and brother, come and
survey with me the goodness of our heavenly Father.
And, oh ! that he would give me such a sense of it, that
I might represent it in a suitable manner, that " while I
am musing, the fire may burn " in my own heart, (Psalm
xxxix. 3.) and be communicated to yours ! And, oh ! that
it might pass, with the lines I write, from soul to soul,
awakening in the breast of every Christian that reads Ihera,
sentiments more worthy of the children of God, and the
heirs of glory, who are to spend an eternity in those sacred
exercises to which I am now endeavouring to excite you !
;. 3. Have you not reason to adopt the words of David,
and say, " How many are thy gracious thoughts unto me,
0 Lord ! How great is the sum of them ! When I would
count them, they are more in number than the sand."
Psalm cxxxix. 17, 18. You indeed know where to begin
the survey, for the favours of God to you began with your
being. Commemorate it therefore with a grateful heart,
that the eyes which '' saw your substance, being yet im-
perfect," beheld you with a friendly care " when you were
made in secret," and have watched over you ever since ;
and that the hand, which " drew the plan of your mem-
bers, when as yet there was none of them," (Psalm cxxxix.
15, 16.) not only fashioned them at first, but from that time
has been concerned in " keeping all your bones, so that
none of them is broken," (Psalm xxxiv. 20.) and that,
indeed, it is to this you owe it, that you live. Look back
upon the path you have trod, from the day that God brought
you out of the womb, and say, whether you do not, as it
were, see all the road thick set with the marks and me-
morials of the divine goodness. Recollect the places where
you have lived, and the persons with whom you have most
intimately conversed; and call to mind the mercies you
have received in those places, and from those persons, as
the instruments of the divine care and goodness. Recollect
U

242 GRATEFUL JOY IN GOD. [Ch. 27.

the difficulties and dangers with v. hich you liave been sur-
rounded, and reflect attentively on what God hath done
to defend you from them, or to carry you through them.
Think how often there has been but a step ^between you
and death, and how suddenly God has sometimes inter-
posed to set you in safety, even before you apprehended
your danger. Think of those chambers of illness, in which
you have been confined, and from whence, perhaps, you
once thought you should go forth no more; but said, with
Hezekiah, in the cutting off of your days, " I shall go to
the gates of the grave, I am deprived of the residue of my
years." Isaiah, xxxviii. 10. God has, it may be, since that
time, added many years to your life ; and you know not
how many are in reserve, or how much usefulness and
happiness may attend each. Survey your circumstances in
relative life ; how many kind friends are surrounding you
daily, and studying how they may contribute to your com-
fort. Reflect on those remarkable circumstances in Provi-
dence, which occasioned the knitting of some bonds of
this kind, which, next to those which join your soul to
God, you number among the happiest. And forget" not, in
how many instances, when these dear lives have been
threatened, lives perhaps more sensibly dear than your
own, God has given them back from the borders of the
grave, and so added new endearments, arising from that
tender circumstance, to all your after converse with them.
Nor forget, in how gracious a manner he hath supported
some others in their last moments, and enabled them to
leave behind a sweet odour of piety, which hath embalmed
their memories, revived you when ready to faint under the
sorrows of the last separation, and, on the whole, made
even the recollection of their death delightful.

4. But it is more than time that I lead on your thoughts
to the many spiritual mercies which God has bestowed
upon you. Look back, as it were, to " the rock from
whence you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from
whence you were digged." Isaiah, li. I. Reflect seriously
on the state wherein divine grace found you : under how
much guilt, under how much pollution ! in what danger,
in vvhat ruin ! Think what was, and 0 think with yet
deeper reflection, what would have been' the case ! The
eye of God, which penetrates into eternity, saw what your

Ch. 27.] GRATEFUL JOY IN GOD. 248

mind, amused with the trifles of the present time and sen •
sua! gratitication, was utterly ignorant and regardless of,
it saw you on the borders of eternity, and pitied you; saw,
that you would in a little time have been such a helpless,
wretched creature, as the sinner that is just now dead, and
has, to his infinite surprise and everlasting terror, met his
unexpected doom ; and would, like him, stand thunderstruck
in astonishment and despair. This God saw, and he pitied
you ; and, being merciful to you, he provided, in the coun-
sel of his eternal love and grace, a Redeemer for you, and
purchased you to himself with the blood of his Son : a
price, which, if you will pause upon it, and think seriously
what it was, must surely affect you to such a degree, as to
make you to fall down before God in wonder and shame, to
think it should ever have been given for you. To accom-
plish these blessed purposes, he sent his grace into your
heart ; so that, though " you were once darkness, you are
DOW light in the Lord." Eph. v. 8. He made that happy
change which you now feel in your soul, and "by his
Holy Spirit which is given to you," he shed abroad that
principle of love, (Rom. v. 5.) which is enkindled by this
review, and now flames with greater ardour than before.
Thus far he hath supported you in your Christian course,
and " having obtained help from him," it is, that you con-
tinue even to this day. Acts, xxvi. 22. He hath not only
blessed you, but "made you a blessing;" (Gen. xii. 2.)
and though you have not been so useful as that holy gene-
rosity of heart which he has excited would have engaged
you to desire, yet some good you have done in the station
in which he has fixed you. Some of your brethren of
mankind have been relieved, perhaps, too, some thoughtless
creature reclaimed to virtue and happiness, by his blessing
on your endeavours. Some in the way to heaven are prais-
ing God for you; and some, perhaps already there, are long-
ing for your arrival, that they may thank you, in nobler
and more expressive forms, for benefits, the importance of
which they now sufficiently understand, though, while
here, they could never conceive it.

5. Christian, look around on the numberless blessings,
of one kind and of another, with which you are already
encompassed ; and advance your prospect still farther, to
what faith yet discovers within the veil. Think of those

244 GRATEFUL JOY IN GOD. [Ch. 27.

now unknown transports with which thou shalt drop every
burden in the grave ; and thine immortal spirit shall mount,
light and joyful, holy and happy, to God, its original, its
support, and its hope ; to God, the source of being, of ho-
liness, and of pleasure; to Jesus, through whom all these
blessings are derived to thee, and who will appoint thee a
throne near to his own, to be for ever the spectator and
partaker of his glory. Think of, the rapture with which
thou shalt attend his triumph in the resurrection-day, and
receive this poor, mouldering, corruptible body, transformed
into his glorious image ; and then think, " These hopes
are not mine alone, but the hopes of thousands and mil-
lions. Multitudes, whom I number among the dearest of
my friends upon the earth, are rejoicing with me in these
apprehensions and views ; and God gives me sometimes
to see the smiles on their cheeks, the sweet, humble hope
that sparkles in their eyes and shines through the tears of
tender gratitude, and to hear that little of their inward
complacency and joy which language can express. Yea,
and multitudes more, who were once equally dear to me
with these, though I have laid them in the grave, and
wept over the dust, are living to God, living in the posses-
sion of inconceivable delights, and drinking large draughts
of the water of life, which flows in perpetual streams at his
right hand."

6. 0 Christian ! thou art still intimately united and allied
to them. Death cannot break a friendship thus cemented,
and it ought not to render thee insensible of the happiness
of those friends, for whose memory thou retainest so just
an honour. They live to God as his servants ; they " serve
him, and see his face," (Rev. xxii. 3, 4.) and they make
but a small part of that glorious assembly. Millions, equally
worthy of thine esteem and affection with themselves, in-
habit those blissful regions; and wilt thou not rejoice ia
their joy ? And wilt thou not adore that everlasting spring
of holiness and happiness, from whence each of their
streams is derived ? Yea, I will add, while the blessed
angels are so kindly regarding us, while they are minister-
ing to thee, 0 Christian ! and bearing thee in their arras,
" as an heir of salvation," (Heb. i. 14.) wilt thou not re-
joice in their felicity too ? And wilt thou not adore that
God, who gives them all the superior glory of their more

Ch. 27.] GRATEFUL JOY IN GOD. 245

exalted nature, and gives them a heaven, which fills them
with blessedness, even while they seem to withdraw from
it, that they may attend on thee ?

7. This, and infinitely more than this, the blessed God
is, and was, and shall ever be. The felicities of the bles-
sed spirits that surround his throne, and thy felicities, O
Christian ! are immortal. These heavenly luminaries shall
glow with an undecaying flame, and thou shall shine and
burn among them, when the sun and the stars are gone out.
Still shall the unchanging Father of lights pour forth his
beams upon them ; and the lustre they reflect from him,
and their happiness in him, shall be everlasting, shall be
ever growing. Bow down, O thou child of God, thou heir
of glory, bow down, and let all that is within thee unite
in one act of grateful love; and let all that is around thee,
all that is before thee in the prospects of an unbounded
eternity, concur to elevate and transport thy soul, that thou
mayest, as far as possible, begin the work and blessedness
of heaven, in falling down before the God of it, in open-
ing thine heart to his gracious influences, and in breathing
out before him that incense of praise, which these warm
beams of his presence and love have so great a tendency
to produce, and to ennoble with a fragrancy resembling
that of his paradise above.

The grateful Soul rejoicing in the Blessings of Providence and
Grace, and pouring out itself before God in vigorous and affec-
tionate Exercises of Love and Praise.

'^ 0 my God, it is enough ! I have mused, and ' the fire
burnelh !' Psalm xxxix. 3. But, oh ! in what language
shall the flame break forth? What can I say but this, that
my heart admires thee, and adores thee, and loves thee?
My little vessel is as full as it can hold; and I would pour
out all that fulness before thee, that it miay grow capable
of receiving more and more. Thou art ' my hope and my
help; my glory, and the lifter up of my head.' Psalm iii.
3. ' My heart rejoiceth in thy salvation ;' (Psalm xiii. 5.)
and when I set myself, under the influences of thy good
Spirit, to converse w ith thee, a thousand delightful thoughts
spring up at once, a thousand sources of pleasure are un-
sealed, and flow in upon my soul with such refreshment
and joy, that they seem to crowd into every moment the
happiness of days, and weeks, and months.

24^ GRATEFUL JOY IN GOD. [Ch. 27>

" I bless thee, 0 God, for this soul of mine which thou
hast created, which thou hast taught to say, and I hope to
the happiest purpose, * Where is God my Maker?' Job,
XXXV. 10. I bless thee for the knowledge with whtch
thou hast adorned it. I bless thee for that grace with
which I trust I may (not without humble wonder) say,
thou hast sanctified it; though, alas ! the celestial plant is
fixed in too barren a soil, and does not flourish to the de-
gree I could wish.

" I bless thee also for that body which thou hast given
me, and which thou preservest as yet in its strength and
vigour, not only capable of relishing the entertainments
which thou providest for its various senses, but (which I
esteem far more valuable than any of them for its own
sake) capable of acting with some vivacity in thy ser-
vice. I bless thee for that ease and freedom with which
these limbs of mine move themselves, and obey the dic-
tates of my spirit, I hope as guided by thine. I bless thee,
that ' the keepers of my house do not yet tremble, nor the
strong men bow themselves ;' that they *■ that look out of
the windows are not yet darkened, nor the daughters of
music brought low.' I bless thee, O God of my life! that
'■ the silver cord is not yet loosed, nor the golden bowl bro-
ken ;' (Eccl. xii. 3, 4, 6.) for it is thine hand that braces all
my nerves, and thine infinite skill that prepares those
spirits, which How in so freely, and when exhausted, re-
cruit so soon and so plentifully. I praise thee for that royal
bounty with which thou providest for the daily support of
mankind in general, and for mine in particular ; for the
various tables which thou spreadest before me, and for the
overflowing cup which thou ' puttest into my hands.'
Psalm xxiii. 5. L bless thee, that these bounties of thy
providence do not serve, as it were, to upbraid a disabled
appetite, and are not * like messes of meat set before the
dead.' I bless thee too, that I eat not my morsel alone,'
(Job, xxxi. 17.) but share it with so many agreeable
friends, who add the relish of a social life to that of the
animal, at our seasons of common repast. I thank thee
for so many dear relatives at home, for so many kind friends
abroad, who are capable of serving me in various instan-
ces, and disposed to make an obliging use of that capacity.

" Nor would I forget to acknowledge thy favour in ren-

Ch. 27.] GRATEFUL JOY IN GOD. 247

dering me capable of serving others, and giving me in any
instance to know, how much ' more blessed it is to give
than to receive.' Acts, xx. 35. I thank thee for a heart
which feels the sorrows of the necessitous, and a mind
which can make it my early care and refreshment to con-
trive, according to my little ability, for their relief; for
* this also Cometh forth from thee, O Lord !' (Isaiah, xxviii,
29.) the great x\uthor of every benevolent inclination, of
every prudent scheme, of every successful attempt to spread
happiness around us, or in any instance to lessen distress.

" And surely, O Lord, if I thus acknowledge the plea-
sures of sympathy with the afflicted, much more must I
bless thee for those of sympathy with the happy, with those
that are completely blessed. I adore thee for the streams
that water Paradise, and maintain it in ever-iiourishing,
ever-growing delight. I praise thee for the rest, the joy,
the transport, thou art giving to many that were once dear
to me on earth, whose sorrows it was my labour to soothe,
and whose joys, especially in thee, it was the delight of
my heart to promote. I praise thee for the blessedness of
every saint, and of every angel, that surrounds thy throne
above ; and I praise thee, with accents of distinguished
pleasure, for that reviving hope which thou hast implanted
in my bosom, that I shall, ere long, know, by clear sight,
and by everlasting experience, what 'hat felicity of theirs
is, which I novv' only discover at a distance, through the
comparatively obscure glass of faith. Even now, through
thy grace, do I feel myself borne forw^ard by thy supporting
arm to those regions of blessedness. Even now am I
'waiting for thy salvation,' (Gen. xlix. 18.) with that ar-
dent desire, on the one hand, which its sublime greatness
cannot but inspire into the believing soul, and that calm
resignation, on the other, which the immutability of thy
promise establishes.

"And now, 0 my God, what shall I say unto thee?
what, but that I love thee above all the powers of lan-
guage to express ! That I love thee for what thou art to
thy creatures, who are, in their various forms, every mo-
ment deriving being, knowledge, and happiness from thee,
in numbers and degrees far beyond what my narrow ima-
gination can conceive. But, oh ! I adore and love thee
yet far more for what thou art in thyself, for those stores

248 GRATEFUL JOY IN GOD. [Ch. 2t.

of perfection which creation has not diminished, and which
can never be exhausted by all the effects of it which thou
impartest to thy creatures ; that infinite perfection which
makes thee thine own happiness, thine own end ; amiable,
infinitely amiable and venerable, were all derived excel-
lence and happiness forgot.

"0 thou first, thou greatest, thou fairest of all objects !
thou only great, thou only fair, possess all my soul ! And
surely thou dost possess it. While I thus feel thy sacred
Spirit breathing on my heart, and exciting these fervours
of love to thee, I cannot doubt it any more than I can
doubt the reality of this animal life, while I exert the act-
ings of it, and feel its sensations. Surely, if ever I knew
the appetite of hunger, my soul ' hungers after righteous-
ness,' (Matt. V. 6.) and longs for a greater conformity to thy
blessed nature and holy will. If ever my palate felt thirst,
* my soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God,'
(Psalm xlii. 2.) and panteth for the more abundant com-
munication of his favour. If ever this body, when wearied
with labour or journies, knew what it was to wish for the
refreshment of my bed, and rejoice to rest there, my soul,
with sweet acquiescence, rests upon thy gracious bosom, 0
my heavenly Father, and returns to its repose in the em-
braces of its God, * who hath dealt so bountifully with it.'
Psalm cxvi. 7. And, if ever I saw the face of a beloved
friend with complacency and joy, I rejoice in beholding
thy face, 0 Lord, ami in calling thee my Father in Christ.
Such thou art, and su oh thou wilt be, for time and for eter-
nity. What have I more to do, but to commit myself to
thee for both ? Leaving it to thee to ' choose my inheri-
tance,' and to order my afi^airs for me, (Psalm xlvii. 4.)
while all my business is to serve thee, and all my delight
to praise thee. * My soul follows hard after God,' because
*'his right hand upholds me.' Psalm Ixiii. 8. Let it still
bear me up, and I shall press on toward thee, till all ray
desires be accomplished in the eternal enjoyment of thee !
Amen."

Ch. 28.] ACTIVE BENEVOLENCE. 24Q

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE ESTABLISHED CHRISTIAN URGED TO EXERT HIMSELF FOR PURPOSES

OF USEFULNESS.

1,2. A sincere love lo God ivill express itself not only in devotion
but in benevolence to men. — 3. This is the command of God. — 4.
The true Christian feels his sou! wrought to a holy conformity to
it. — 5. ,^nd ihtrefore will desire in<itrnction on this head. — 6. Ac-
cordingly, directions are given for the improvemtnt of various ta-
lents : particularly genius and learning. — 7. Power. — 8. Domestic
authority.— 9. Esteem. — 10. Riches.— .11 Several good ivays of
employing them hinted at. — 12, 13. Prudencein expense urged, for
the support of charity. — 14. Dioine direction in this respect to be
sought. The Christian breathing after more extensive usefulness.

1. Such as I have described in the former chapter, I
trust, are and will be tiie frequent exercises of your soul
before God. Thus will your love and gratitude breathe
itself forth in the divine presence, and will, through Jesus
the great Mediator, come up before it as incense, and
yield an acceptable savour. But then, you must remem-
ber, this will not be the only effect of that love to God,
which I have supposed so warm in your heart. If it be
sincere, it will not spend itself in words alone, but will
discover itself in actions, and will produce, as its genuine
fruit, an unfeigned love to your fellow-creatures and an
unwearied desire and labour to do them good continually.

2. " Has the great Father of mercies," will you say,
" looked upon me with so gracious an eye .'* has he not only
forgiven me ten thousand off'ences, but enriched me with
such a variety of benefits ? O what shall I render to him
for them all ? Instruct me, 0 ye oracles of eternal truth!
Instruct me, ye elder brethren in the family of my heaven-
ly Father 1 Instruct me, above all, 0 thou Spirit of wis-
dom and love! what I may be able to do, to express my
love to the great eternal fountain of love, and to approve
my fidelity to him who has already done so much to en-
gage it, and who will take so much pleasure in owning and
rewarding it !"

3. This, 0 Christian ! is the command which we have
beard from the beginning, and it will ever continue in un-
impaired force, "that he who loveth God," should "love
his brother also," (1 John, iv. 21.) and should express that

II*

a60 ACTIVE BENEVOLENCE. [Ch. 28.

love, " not in word and profession alone, but in deed and
in truth." 1 John iii. 18. You are to love your neighbour
as yourself; to love the whole creation of God ; and, so
far as your influence can extend, must endeavour to make
it happy.

4. " Yes," will you not say, and "I do love it. I feel
the golden chain of divine love encircling us all, and bind-
ing us close to each other, joining us in one body, and dif-
fusing, as it were, one soul through all. May happiness,
true and sublime, perpetual and ever-growing happiness,
reign through the whole world of God's rational and obe-
dient creatures in heaven and on earth ! And may every
revolted creature, that is capable of being recovered and
restored, be made obedient ! Yea, may the necessary pun-
ishment of those who are irrecoverable, be over-ruled by
infinite wisdom and love to the good of the whole !"

5. These are right sentiments, and if they are indeed
the sentiments of your heart, 0 reader ! and not an empty
form of vain words, they will be attended with a serious
concern to act in subordination to this great scheme of di-
vine Providence, according to your abilities in their utmost
extent. And to this purpose, they will put you on survey-
ing the peculiar circumstances of your life and being, that
YOU may discover what opportunities of usefulness they
now afford, and how those opportunities and capacities
may be improved. Enter therefore into such a survey, not
that you may pride yourself in the distinctions of divine
Providence or grace towards you, or, " having received,
may glory as if you had not received ;" (1 Cor. iv. 7.) but
that you may deal faithfully with the great Proprietor,
whose steward you are, and by whom you are entrusted
with every talent, which, Avith respect to any claim from
your fellow-creatures, you may call your own. And here,
'** having gifts differing according to the grace that is given
to us," (Rom. xii. 6.) let us hold the balance with an
impartial hand, that so we may determine what it is that
God requires of us ; which is nothing less than doing the
most we can invent, contrive, and effect, for the general
o-ood. But, oh ! how seldom is this estimate faithfully
made ! And how much does the world around us, and how
much do our own souls suffer, for want of that fidelity !

d. Hath God giyen you genius and learning? It was

Ch. 28.] ACTIVE BENEVOLENCE. 251

not that you might amuse or deck yourself with it, and
kindle a blaze which should only serve to attract and daz-
zle the eyes of men. It was intended to be the means of
leading both yourself and them to the Father of lights.
And it will be your duty, according to the peculiar turn of
that genius and capacity, either to endeavour to improve
and adorn human life, or, by a more direct application of
it to divine subjects, to plead the cause of religion, to de-
fend its truths, to enforce and recommend its practice, to
deter men from courses which would be dishonourable
to God and fatal to themselves, and to try the utmost ef-
forts of all the solemnity and tenderness with which you
can clothe your addresses, to lead them into the paths of
virtue and happiness.

7. Has God invested you with power, whether it be in
a larger or smaller society? Remember that this power
was given yoti, that God might be honoured, and those
placed under your government, whether domestic or public,
might be made happy. Be concerned, therefore, that, whe-
ther you be entrusted with the rod, or the sword, it may
" not be borne in vain." Rom. xiii. 4. Are you a magis-
trate ? Have you any share in the great and tremendous
charge of enacting laws? Reverence the authority of the
supreme Legislator, the great Guardian of society : promote
none, consent to none, which you do not in your own con-
science esteem, in present circumstances, an intimation of
his will, and in the establishment of which you do not
firmly believe you shall be "his minister for good." Rom.
xiii. 4. Have you the charge of executing laws ? Put life
into them by a vigorous and strenuous execution, according
to the nature of the particular office you bear. Retain not an
empty name of authority. Permit not yourself, as it were, to
fall asleep on the tribunal. Be active, be wakeful, be obser-
vant of what passes around you. Protect the upright and the
innocent. Break in pieces the power of the oppressor. Un-
veil every dishonest heart. Disgrace, as well as defeat, the
wretch that makes his distinguished abilities the disguise or
protection of the wickedness which he oughtratherto endea-
vour to expose, and to drive out of the world with abhorrence.

8. Are you placed only at the head of a private family?
Rule it for God. Adm'inister the concerns of that little
kingdom with the same views, and on the same principleSj

252 ACTIVE BENEVOLENCE. [Ch. 29.

which I have been inculcating on the powerful and the
great, if, by an unexpected accident, any of them should
sutler their eyes to glance upon the passage above. Your
children and servants are your natural subjects. Let good
order be established among them, and keep them under a
regular discipline. Let them be instructed in the principles
of religion, that they may know how reasonable such a dis-
cipline is ; and let them be accustomed to act accordingly.
You cannot indeed change their hearts, but you may very
much influence their conduct, and by that means may pre-
serve them from many snares, may do a great deal to make
them good members of society, and may set them, as it
were, "in the \vay of God's steps," (Psalm Ixxxv. 13.) if
peradventure passing by he may bless them with the riches
of his grace. And fail not to do your utmost to convince
them of their need of those blessings ; labour to engage
them to a high esteem of them, and to an earnest desire of
them, as incomparably more valuable than any thing else.
9. Again, has God been pleased to raise you to esteem
among your fellow-creatures, which is not always in propor-
tion to a man's rank or possession in human life ? Are your
counsels heard with attention ? Is your company sought?
Does God give you good acceptance in the eyes of men, so
that they do not only put the fairest constructions on your
words, but overlook faults of which you are conscious to
yourself, and consider your actions and performances in the
most indulgent and favourable light ? You ought to regard
this, not only as a favour of Providence, and as an encou-
ragement to you cheerfully to pursue your duty, in the se-
veral branches of it, for the time to come, but also, as giving
you much greater opportunities of usefulness than in your
present station you could otherwise have had. If your
character has any weight in the world, throw it into the
right scale. Endeavour to keep virtue and goodness in
countenance. Affectionately give your hand to modest
worth, where it seems to be depressed or overlooked;
though shining, when viewed in its proper light, with a
lustre which you may think much superior to your own.
Be an advocate for truth ; be a counsellor of peace ; be aa
example of candour ; and do all you can to reconcile the
bearts of men, especially of good men, to each other, how-
ever they may differ in their opinions about matters which

Ch. 28.] ACTIVE BENEVOLENCE. 253

it is possible for good men to dispute. And let the caution
and humility of your behaviour, in circumstances of such su-
perior eminence, and amidst so many tokens of general es-
teem, silently reprove the rashness and haughtiness of those
who perhaps are remarkable for little else ; or who, if their
abilities were indeed considerable, must be despised, and
\vhose talents must be in a great measure lost to the pub-
lic, till that rashness and haughtiness of spirit be subdued.
Nor suffer yourself to be interrupted in this generous and
worthy course, by the little attacks of envy and calumny
which you may meet. Be still attentive to the general
good, and steadily resolute in your efforts to promote it ;
and leave it to Providence to guard or to rescue your cha-
racter from the base assaults of malice and falsehood,
which will often, without your labour, confute themselves,
and heap upon the authors greater shame, or (if they are
inacessible to that) greater infamy, than your humanity will
allow you to wish them.

10. Once more, Has God blessed you with riches ? Has
he placed you in such circumstances, that you have more
than you absolutely need for the subsistence of yourself and
your family ? Remember your approaching account. Re-
member what an incumbrance these things often prove to
men in the way of their salvation, and how often, according
to our Lord's express declaration, they render it " as difficult
to enter into the kingdom of God, as it is for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle." Matth. xix. 24. Let it
therefore be your immediate, your earnest, and your daily
prayer, that i iches may not be a snare and ^ shame to you,
as they are to by far the greater part of their possessors.
Appropriate, I beseech you, some certain part and propor-
tion of your estate and revenue to charitable uses ; with a
'provisional increase, as God shall prosper you in any ex-
traordinary instance. By this means you will always have
a fund of charity at hand ; and you will probably be more
ready to communicate, when you look upon what is so de-
posited as not in any sense your own, but as already actu-
ally given away to those uses, though not yet affixed to
particular objects. It is not for me to say what that pro-
portion ought to be. To those who have large reve-
nues, and no children, perhaps a third or one half may be
loo little; to those whose incomes are small, and their

254 ACTIVE BENEVOLENCE.' [Ch. 28.

charge considerable, though they have something more
than is absolutely necessary, it is possible a tenth may be
too much. But pray that God would guide your mind;
make a trial for one year, on such terms as in your con-
science you think will be most pleasing to him ; and let
your observations on that teach you to fix your proportion
for the next: always remembering, that he requires jus-
tice in the first place, and alms-deeds only so far as may
consist with that. Yet, at the same time, take heed of that
treacherous, delusive, and, in many instances, destructive
imagination, " that justice to your own family requires that
you should leave your children very rich ;" which has per-
haps cost some parsimonious parents the lives of those dar-
lings for whom they laid up the portion of the poor; and
what fatal consequences of divine displeasure may attend
it to those that yet survive, God only knows; and 1 hear-
tily pray that you or yours may never learn by experience.
11. And that your heart may be yet more opened, and
that your charity may be directed to the best purposes, let
me briefly mention a variety of good uses, which may call
for the consideration of those whom God has in this re-
spect distinguished by an ability to do good. To assist the
hints I am to offer, look round on the neighbourhood in
which you live. Think how many honest and industrious,
perhaps too, I might add, religious people, are making
very hard shifts to struggle through life. Think what a
comfort that would be to them, which you might without
any inconvenience spare from that abundance which God
hath given you. — Hearken also to any extraordinary calls
of charity which may happen, especially those of a public
nature, and help them forward with your example, and
your interest in them, which perhaps may be of much
greater importance than the sum which you contribute,
considered in itself. Have a tongue to plead for the ne-
cessitous, as well as a hand to relieve them ; and endea-
vour to discountenance those poor, shameful excuses, which
covetousness often dictates to those whose art may indeed
set some varnish on what they suggest, but so slight a one,
that the coarse ground will appear through it. — See how
many poor children are wandering naked and ignorant
about the streets, and in the way to all kinds of vice and
misery ; and consider what can be done toward clothing

Ch. 28.] ACTIVE BENEVOLENCE. 255

some of them at least, and instructing them in the prin-
ciples of religion. Would every thriving family in a town,
who are able to afford help on such occasions, cast a pity-
ing eye on one poor family in its neighbourhood, and take
it under their patronage, to assist in feeding, and clothing,
and teaching the children, in supporting it in affliction, in
defending it from wrongs, and in advising those that have
the management of it, as circumstances might require, how
great a difference would soon be produced in the character
and circumstances of the community ? — Observe who are
sick, that, if there be no public infirmary at hand to which
you can introduce them, (where your contribution will
yield the largest increase,) you may do something towards
relieving them at home, and supplying them with advice
and medicines, as well as with proper diet and attendance.
— Consider also the spiritual necessities of men : in pro-
viding for which, I would particularly recommend to you
the very important and noble charity of assisting young
persons of genius and piety, with what is necessary to
support the expense of their education for the ministry, in
a proper course of grammatical or academical studies. And
grudge not some proportion of what God hath given you,
to those who, resigning all temporal views to minister to
you the Gospel of Christ, have surely an equitable claim
to be supported by you, in a capacity of rendering you
those services, however laborious, to which, for your sakes,
and that of our common Lord, they have devoted their
lives. And while you are so abundantly " satisfied with
the goodness of God's house, even of his own temple,"
(Psalm Ixv. 4.) have compassion on those who dwell in
a desert land ; and rejoice to do something toward send-
ing among the distant nations of the heathen world, that
glorious Gospel which hath so long continued unknown to
multitudes, though the knowledge of it, with becoming
regard, be life everlasting. — These are a few important
charities, which I would point out to those whom Provi-
dence has enriched with its peculiar bounties; and it ren-
ders gold more precious than it could appear in any other
light, that it is capable of being employed for such pur-
poses. But if you should not have gold to spare for them,
contribute your silver; or, as a farthing or a mite is not
overlooked by God when it is given from a truly generous

256 ACTIVE BENEVOLENCE. [Ch. 28.

and cliantable heart, (Mark, xii. 42, 43.) let that be cheer-
fully dropped into the treasury, where richer offerings can-
not be afforded.

12. And that, amidst so many pressing demands for cha-
rity, you may be better furnished to answer them, seri-
ously reflect on your manner of living. I say not, that
God requires you should become one of the many poor
relieved out of your income. The support of society, as
at present established, will not only permit, but require,
that some persons should allow themselves in the elegan-
cies and delights of life; by furnishing which, multitudes
of poor families are much more creditably and comfortably
subsisted, with greater advantage to themselves and safety
to the public, than they could be, if the price of their la-
bours, or of the commodities in which they deal, were to
be given them as alms; nor can I imagine it grateful to
God, that his gifts should be refused, as if they were meant
for snares and curses rather than benefits. This were to
frustrate the benevolent purposes of the gracious Father of
mankind, and if carried to its rigour, would be a sort of
conspiracy against the whole system of nature. Let the
bounties of Providence be used ; but let us carefully see
to it, that it be in a moderate and prudent manner, lest, by
our own folly, " that which should have been for our wel-
fare become a trap." Psalm Ixix. 22. Let conscience say,
ray dear reader, with regard to yourself, what proportion
of the good things you possess your Heavenly Father in-
tends for yourself, and what for your brethren ; and live
not as if you had no brethren, as if pleasing yourself in
all the magnificence and luxury you can devise, were the
end for which you were sent into the world. I fear this is
the excess of the present age, and not an excess of rigour
and mortification. Examine, therefore, your expenses, and
compare them with your income. That may be shamefully
extravagant in you, which may not only be pardonable,
but commendable in another of superior estate. Nor can
you be sure that you do not exceed, merely because you'
do not plunge yourself into debt, nor render yourself in-
capable of laying up any thing for your family. If you be
disabled from doing any thing for the poor, or any thing
proportionable to your rank in life, by that genteel and
elegant way of living which you affect, God must disap-

Ch. 28.] CONCERN TO BE USEFUL. 257

prove of such a conduct ; and you ought, as you will an-
swer it to him, to retrench it. And though the divine in-
dulgence will undoubtedly be exercised to those in whom
there is a sincere principle of faith in Christ, and undis-
sembied love to God and man, though it act not to that
height of beneficence and usefulness which might have
been attained; yet be assured of this, that he, who ren-
dereth to every one according to his works, will have a
strict regard to the degrees of the goodness in the distri-
bution of final rewards : so that every neglected opportu-
nity draws after it an irreparable loss, which will go into
eternity along with you. And let me add, too, that every
instance of negligence indulged, renders the mind still
more and more indolent and weak, and consequently more
indisposed to recover the ground which has been lost, or
even to maintain that which has been hitherto kept.

13. Complain not that this is imposing hard things upon
you. I am only directing your pleasures into a nobler
channel; and indeed that frugality, which is the source of
such a generosity, far from being at all injurious to your
reputation, will rather, among wise and good men, greatly
promote it. But you have far nobler motives before you
than those which arise from their regards. I speak to you
as to a child of God, and a member of Christ ; as joined,
therefore, by the most intimate union, to all the poorest
of those that believe in him. I speak to you as to an heir
of eternal glory, who ought therefore to have sentiments
great and sublime, in some proportion to that expected in-
heritance.

14. Cast about therefore in your thoughts, what good is
to be done, and what you can do, either in your own per-
son, or by your interest with others ; and go about it with
resolution, as in the name and presence of the Lord. And
as "-the Lord giveth wisdom, and oiit of his mouth cometh
knowledge and understanding," (Prov. ii. 6.) go to the
footstool of his throne, and there seek that guidance and
that grace which may suit your present circumstances, and
may be effectual to produce the fruits of holiness and use-
fulness, to his more abundant glory, and to the honour of
your Christian profession.

258 PRAYER TO BE USEFUL. [Ch. 28.

TJie established Christian breathing after more extensive Usefulness.

" 0 bountiful Father, and sovereign Author of all good,
whether natural or spiritual ! I bless thee for the various
talents with which thou hast enriched so undeserving a
creature, as I must acknowledge myself to be. My soul is
in the deepest confusion before thee, when I consider to
how little purpose I have hitherto improved theai. Alas !
what have I done, in proportion to what thou mightest
reasonably have expected, with the gifts of nature which
thou hast bestow^ed upon me, with my capacities of life,
with my time, with my talents, with my possessions, with
my influence over others ! Alas ! through my own negli-
gence and folly, I look back on a barren wilderness, where
I might have seen a fruitful held, and a springing harvest !
Justly do I indeed deserve to be stripped of all, to be brought
to an immediate account for all, to be condemned, as in
many respects unfaithful to thee, and to the world, and to
my own soul ; and, in consequence of that condemnation,
to be cast into the prison of eternal darkness ! But thou,
Lord, hast freely forgiven the dreadful debt of ten thou-
sand talents. Adored be thy name for it ! Accept, 0 Lord,
accept that renewed surrender, which I would now make
of myself, and of all I have, unto thy service ! I acknow-
ledge that it is ' of thine own that I give thee.' 1 Chron.
xxix. 14. Make me, I beseech thee, a faithful steward for
my great Lord ; and may I think of no separate interest of
my own, in opposition to thine !

" I adore thee, O thou God of all grace ! if, while I am
thus speaking to thee, I feel the love of thy creatures
arising in my soul ; if I feel my heart opening to embrace
my brethren of mankind ! O make me thy faithful almoner,
in distributing to them all that thou hast lodged in mine
hand for their relief ! And in determining what is my own
share, may I hold the balance with an equal hand, and
judge impartially between myself and them ! The propor-
tion thou allowest, may I thankfully take for myself and
those who are immediately mine ! The rest may I distri-
bute with wisdom, and 'fidelity, and cheerfulness ! Guide
my hand, 0 ever merciful Father ! while thou dost me the
honour to make me thine instrument in dealing out a few^
of thy bounties, that I may bestow them where they are

Ch. 29.] DEATH WELCOMED. 259

most needed, and where they will answer the best end !
And if it be thy gracious will, do thou ' multiply the seed
sown;' (2 Cor. ix. 10.) prosper me in my worldly affairs,
that I may have more to impart to them that need it; and
thus lead me on to the region of everlasting plenty, and
everlasting benevolence ! There may I meet with many to
v/hom I have been an affectionate benefactor on earth ;
aiid if it be thy blessed will, with many, whom I have also
been the means of conducting into the path to that blissful
abode ! There may they entertain me in their habitations
of glory ! And in time and eternity, do thou. Lord, accept
the praise of all, through Jesus Christ ; at whose feet I
would bow, and at whose feet, after the most useful course,
I would at last die, with as much humility as if I were
then exerting the first act of faith upon him, and had never
had any opportunity, by one tribute of obedience and gra-
tiiude in the services of life, to approve its sincerity !"

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE CHRISTIAN RtJOICJ.VG IN THE VIEWS OV DEATH AND JUDGMENT

1. Death and judgment are near: but the Christian has reason to ivelcomG
both. — 2. Vet Nature recoils from the solemnity of them. — 3. An At-
tempt to reconcile the mind to the prospect of death. — 4. Fro7n the
consideration of the mctivj evils that surround us in thismorlal life. —
5. Of the remainder of sin ivhich we feel within us. — (5, 7. And of
the happiness which is immediately to succeed death.- — 8. All tchich
might make the Christian ivilling to die in the rnost agreeable circum-
stances of human life. — 9. The Christian has reason to rejoice in the
prospect of judgment. — 10. Since, hoivever awful it may be, Christ
loill then come, to vindicate his honour, to display his glory, and to
triumph over his enemies. — 11. As also to complete the happiness of
every believer. — 12, 13. And of the luhole church. The meditation of
a Christian u-hose heart is warm with these prospects.

1. When the visions of the Lord were closing upon
John, the beloved disciple, in the island of Patmos, it is
observable, that he who gave him that revelation, even
Jesus, the faithful and true witness, concludes with these
lively and important words : " He who testifieth these
things saith. Surely I come quickly :" and John answered,
with the greatest readiness and pleasure, "Amen, even so
come, Lord Jesus !'' Come, as thou hast said, surely and

260 DEATH WELCOMED. [Ch. 29.

quickly. And remember, O Christian ! whoever you are
that are now reading these words, your divine Lord speaks
in the same language to you : '' Behold I come quickly."
Yes, very quickly will he come by death, to turn the key,
to open the door of the grave for thine admittance thither,
and to lead thee through it into the now unknown regions
of the invisible world. Nor is it long before " the Judge,
who standeth at the door," (Jam. v. 9.) will appear also
for universal judgment; and though, perhaps, not only
scores, but hundreds of years will lie between that period
and the present moment, yet it is but a very small point
of time to him, who views at once all the unmeasurable
ages of a past and future eternity. " A thousand years are
with him but as one day, and one day as a thousand years."
2 Pet. iii. 8, In both these senses, then, does he come
quickly. And I trust you can answer, with a glad Amen,
that the warning is not terrible or unpleasant to your ears,
but rather that his coming, his certain, his speedy coming,
is the object of your delightful hope, and of your longing
expectation.

! 2. I am sure it is reasonable it should be so ; and yet
perhaps nature, fond of life, and unwilling to part with a
long known abode, to enter on a state to which it is en-
tirely a stranger, may recoil from the thoughts of dying;
or, struck with the av. ful pomp of an expiring and dissolv-
ing world, may look on the judgment-day with some mix-
ture of terror. And therefore, my dear brother in the
Lord, (for such I can now esteem you,) I would reason
with you a little on this head, and would entreat you to
look more attentively on this solemn subject, which will, I
trust, grow less disagreeable to you, as it is more familiar-
ly viewed. Nay, I hope, that, instead of starting back
from it, you will rather spring forward toward it with joy
and delight.

3. Think, O Christian ! when Christ comes to call you
away by death, he comes — to set you at liberty from your
present sorrows — to deliver you from your struggles with
remaining corruption — and to receive you to dwell with
himself in complete holiness and joy. You shall "be ab-
sent from the body, and be present with the Lord." 2 Cor,
V. 8.

4. He will indeed call vou away from this world, but,

Ch. 29.] DEATH WELCOMED. 261

oh ! what is this world, that you should be fond of it, and
cling to it with so much eagerness ? How low are all those
enjoyments that are peculiar to it; and how many its vex-
ations, its snares, and its sorrows ! Review your pilgrimage
thus far; and though you must acknowledge, that " good-
ness and mercy have followed you all the days of your life,"
(Psalm xxiii. 6.) yet has not that very mercy itself plant-
ed some thorns in your path, and given you some wise and
necessary, yet painful intimations, that " this is not your
rest?" Mic. ii. 10. Review the monuments of your
withered joys, of your blasted hopes, if there be yet any
monuments of them remaining more than a mournful re-
membrance they have left behind in your afflicted heart.
Look upon the graves that have swallowed up many of
your dearest and most amiable friends, perhaps in the very
bloom of life, and in the greatestintimacy of your converse
with them, and reflect, that, if you continue a few years
more, death will renew its conquests at your expense, and
devour the most precious of those that yet survive. View
the living as well as the dead : behold the state of human
nature under the many grievous marks of its apostacy from
God, and say, whether a wase and good man v.'ould wish
to continue always here. Methinks, were I myself secure
from being reached by any of the arrows that fly around
me, I could not but mourn to see the wounds that are given
by them, and to hear the groans of those that are continually
falling under them. The diseases and calamities of man-
kind are so many, and (which is most grievous to all)
the distempers of their minds are so various, and so threat-
ening, that the world appears almost like a hospital; and
a man, whose heart is tender, is ready to feel his spirits
broken as he walks through it, and surveys the sad scene ;
especially when he sees how little he can do for the reco-
very of those whom he pities. Are you a Christian? and
does it not pierce your heart to see how human nature is
sunk in vice and in shame ? To see with what amazing
insolence some are making themselves openly vile, and
how the name of Christ is dishonoured by too many that
call themselves his people ? To see the unlawful deeds
and filthy practices of them that live ungodly, and to be-
hold, at the same time, the infirmities, at least, and irre-
gularities of those, concerning whom we have better hopes ?

202 DEATH WELCOMED. fCh. 29.

And do you not wish to escape from such a world, where a
righteous and compassionate soul must be vexed from day
to day by so many spectacles of sin and misery ? 2 Pet. ii. 8.

5. Yea, to come nearer home, do you not feel something
w^ithin you, which you long to quit, and which would im-
bitter even Paradise itself? Something which, were it to
continue, would grieve and distress you even in the society
of the blessed ? Do you not feel a remainder of indwelling
sin ; the sad consequence of the original revolt of our na-
ture from God ? Are you not struggling every day with
some residue of corruption, or at least mourning on account
of the weakness of your graces ? Do you not often find
your spirits dull and languid, when you would desire to
raise them to the greatest fervour in the service of God?
Do you not find your heart too often insensible of the rich-
est instances of his love, and your hands feeble in his ser-
vice, even when " to will is present with you ?" Rom. vii.
18. Does not your life, in its best days and hours, appear
a low, unprofitable thing, when compared with what you
are sensible it ought to be, and with what you wish that it
were? Are you not frequently, as it were, "stretching
the pinions of the mind," and saying, " 0 that I had
wings like a dove, that 1 might fly away and be at rest !"
Psalm Iv. 6.

6. Should you not then rejoice in the thought, that Je-
sus comes to deliver you from these complaints ? That he
comes to answer your wishes, and to fulfil the largest de-
sires of your hearts, those desires that he himself has in-
spired ? That he comes to open upon you a world of purity
and joy; of active, exalted, and unwearied services ?

7. O Christian ! how often have you cast a longing eye
toward those happy shores, and wished to pass the sea,
the boisterous, unpleasant, dangerous sea, that separates you
from them ! When your Lord has condescended to make
you a short visit in his ordinances on earth, how have you
blessed the time and the place, and pronounced it, amidst
many other disadvantages of situation, to be " the very gate
of heaven!" Gen. xxviii. 17. And is it so delightful to
behold this gate ? and will it not be much more so to enter
into it ? Is it so delightful to receive the visits of Jesus for
an hour ? and will it not be infinitely more so to dwell with
him for ever ? " Lord," may you well say, " wlien I dwell

Ch. 29.] DEATH WELCOMED. 263

with thee, I shall dwell in holiness, for thou thyself art
holiness; in love, for thou thyself art love: I shall dwell
in jo)"^, for thou art the fountain of joy, as thou art in
the Father, and the Father in thee." John, xvii. 21. Bid
welcome to his approach, therefore, to take you at your
word, and to fulfil to you that saying of his, on which
your soul has so often rested with heavenly peace and
pleasure : " Father, I will that they whom thou hast
given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold
my glory which thou hast given me." John, xvii. 24.

8. Surely you may say in this view, " The sooner
Christ comes the better." What though the residue of
your days be cut off in the midst ? What though you
leave many expected pleasures in life untasted, and many
schemes unaccomplished ? Is it not enough, that what is
taken from a mortal life, shall be added to a glorious eternity ;
and that you shall spend those days and years in the pre-
sence and service of Christ in heaven, which you might
otherwise have spent with him and for him, in the imper-
fect enjoyment and labours of earth ?

9. But your prospects reach, not only beyond death, but
beyond the separate state. For with regard to his final
appearance to judgment, our Lord says, " Surely I come
quickly," in the sense illustrated before; and so it will
appear to us, if we compare this interval of time with the
blissful eternity which is to succeed it ; and probably, if
we compare it with those ages which have already passed,
since the sun began to measure out to earth its days and
its years. And will you not here also sing your part in the
joyful anthem,. "Amen; even so come. Lord Jesus!"

10. It is true. Christian, it is an awful day ; a day in
which nature shall be thrown into a confusion as yet un-
known. No earthquake, no eruption of burning moun-
tains, no desolation of cities by devouring flames, or of
countries by overflowing rivers or seas, can give any just
emblem of that dreadful day, when " the heavens, being
on fire, shall be dissolved ; the earth also, and all that is
therein, shall be burnt up ;" (2 Pet. iii. 10 — 12.) when all
nature shall flee away in amazement "before the face of
the universal Judge," (Rev. xx. 11.) and there shall be a
great cry, far beyond what was known "in the land of
Egypt, when there v/as not a house in which there was not

264 DEATH WELCOMED. [Ch. 29.

one dead.'* Exod. xii. 30. Your flesh may be ready to
tremble at the view ; yet your spirit must surely " rejoice
in God your Saviour." Luke, i. 47. You may justly say,
" Let this illustrious day come, even with all its horrors !"
Yea, like the Christians described by the apostle, (2 Pet.
iii. 12.) you may be looking for, and hastening to that day
of terrible brightness and universal doom. For your Lord
will then come, to vindicate the justice of those proceed-
ings which have been in many instances so much obscured,
and because they have been obscured, have been also
blasphemed. He will come to display his magnificence, de-
scending from heaven '^ with a shout, with the voice of
the Archangel and the trump of God," (1 Thess. iv. 16.)
taking his seat upon a throne infinitely exceeding that of
earthly, or even of celestial princes, clothed with " his Fa-
ther's glory and his own," (Luke, ix. 26.) surrounded with
a numberless host of " shining attendants, when coming to
be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that be-
lieve." 2 Thess. i. 10. His enemies shall also be produced
to grace his triumph. The serpent shall be seen there rolling
in the dust, and trodden under foot by him and by all his
servants ; those who once condemned him shall tremble
at his presence ; and those who bowed the knee before
him in profane mockery, shall, in wild despair, " call to
the mountains to fall upon ihem, and to the rocks to hide
them from the face of that Lamb of God," (Rev. vi. 16.)
whom they once led away to the most inhuman slaughter.
11. 0 Christian ! does not your loyal heart bound at the
thought ? And are you not ready, even while you read
these lines, to begin the victorious shout in which you are
then to join ? He justly expects that your thoughts should
be greatly elevated and impressed with the views of his
triumph ; but at the same time he permits you to remem-
ber your own personal share in the joy and glory of that
blessed day ; and even now he has the view before him,
of what his power and love shall then accomplish for your
salvation. And what shall it not accomplish ? He shall
come to break the bars of the grave, and to re-animate your
sleeping clay. Your bodies must indeed be laid in dust,
and be lodged there as a testimony of God's displeasure
against sin, against the first sin that ever was committed,
from the sad consequences of which the dearest of his

Ch. 29.] DEATH WELCOMED. 265

children cannot be exempted. But you shall then have an
ear to hear the voice of the Son of God, and an eye to behold
the lustre of his appearance ; and shall " shine forth like
the sun" arising in the clear heaven, " which is as a bride-
groom coming out of his chamber." Psalm xix. 5. Your
soul shall be new dressed to grace this high solemnity, and
be clothed, not with rags of mortality, 1)ut with the robes
of glory ; for he " shall change this vile body, to fashion
it like his own glorious body.'* Phil. iii. 21. And when
you are thus royally arrayed, he shall confer public honours
on you, and on all liis people, before the assembled world.
You may now perhaps be loaded with infamy, called by
reproachful names, and charged with crimes, or with views
which your very soul abhors; but he will "then bring
forth your righteousness as the light," (Psalm xxxvii. 6.)
" and your salvation as a lamp that burneth." Isa. Ixii. 1.
Though you have been dishonoured by men, you shall be
acknowledged by God ; and though treated " as the filth
of the world, and the off-scouring of all things," (1 Cor.
iv. 13.) he will show that he regards you " as his treasure,
in the day that he makes up his jewels." Mai. iii. 17.
When he shall "put away all the wicked of the earth like
dross," (Psalm cxix. 119.) you shall be pronounced
righteous in that full assembly; and though indeed you
have broken the divine law, and might in strict justice
have been condemned, yet, being clothed with the righte-
ousness of the great Redeemer, even " that righteousness
which is of the great God by faith," (Phil. iii. 9.) justice
itself shall acquit you, and join with mercy in " bestowing
upon you a crown of life." 2 Tim. iv. 8. Christ will " con-
fess you before men and angels," (Luke, xii. 8.) will pro-
nounce you good and faithful servants, and call you to " en-
ter into the joy of your Lord:" (Matt. xxv. 21.) he will
speak of you with endearment as his brethren, and will
acknowledge the kindnesses which have been shown to
you, as if he had " received them in his own person."
Matt. xxv. 40. Yea, then shall you, 0 Christians ! who
may perhaps have sat in some of the lowest places in our
assemblies, to whom, it may be, none of the rich and great
of the earth would condescend to speak ; then shall you
be called to be assessors with Christ on his judgment-seat,
and to join with him in the sentence he shall pass on wicked
men and rebellious angels. 12

266 DEATH WELCOMED. [Ch. 29.

12. Nor is it merely one day of glory and triumph. But
when the Judge arises, and ascends to his Father's court,
all the blessed shall ascend with him, and you among the
rest : you shall ascend together with your Saviour, " to
his Father and your Father, to his God and your God."
John XX. 17. You shall go to make your appearance in the
new Jerusalem, in tliose new shining forms that you have
received, which will no doubt be attended w^th a corres-
pondent improvement of mind ; and take up your perpetual
abode in that fulness of joy, with which you shall be
filled and satisfied "in the presence of God," (Psalm xvi.
11.) upon the consummation of that happiness, which the
saints, in the intermediate state, have been wishing and
waiting for. You shall go from the ruins of a dissolving
world, to " the new^ heavens and new earth, wherein
righteousness for ever dwells." 2 Pet. iii. 13. There all
the number of God's elect shall be accomplished, and the
happiness of each shall be completed. The whole society
shall be "presented before God. as the bride, the Lamb's
wife," (Rev. xxi. 9.) whom the eye of its celestial bride-
groom shall survey with unutterable delight, and confess to
be " without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing," (Eph.
v. 27.) its character and state being just what he originally
designed it to be, when he first engaged to " give himself
for it, to redeem it to God by his blood." Rev. v. 9. " So
shall you ever be" with each other, and " with the Lord,"
(1 Tliess. iv. 17.) and immortal ages shall roll away, and
find you still unchanged : your happiness always the same,
and your relish for it the same ; or rather ever growing, as
your souls are approaching nearer and nearer to him, who
is the source of happiness, and the centre of infinite per-
fection.

13. And now look round about upon earth, and single
out, if you can, the enjoyments or the hopes, for the sake
of which you would say. Lord, delay thy coming; or for
the sake of which you any more should hesitate to express
your longing for it, and to cry, " Even so come, Lord Jesus,
come quickly !"

The Meditation or Prayer of a Chnstian whose Heart is warmed
with these Prospects.

" O blessed Lord ! my soul is enkindled with these

€h. 29.1 DEATH WELCOMED. 267

views, and rises to thee in a flame. Judg. xiii. 20. Thou
hast testified, thou comest quickly; and I repeat my joyful
assent, ' Amen, even so come. Lord Jesus.' Rev. xxii. 20.
Come, for I long to have done with this low life ; to have
done with i.ts burdens, its sorrows, and its snares ! Come,
for I long to ascend into thy presence, and to see the court
thou art holding above.

" Blessed Jesus, death is transformed, when I view it ia
this light. The king of terrors is seen no more as such, so
near the King of Glory and of Grace. I hear with pleasure
the sound of thy feet approaching still nearer and nearer.
Draw aside the veil whenever thou pleasest. Open the
bars of my prison, that my eager soul may spring forth Ho
thee, and cast itself at thy feet :' at the feet of that Jesus,
* whom, having not seen, I love,' and ' in whom, though
now I see thee not, yet believing, I rejoice with joy un-
speakable and full of glory.' 1 Pet. i. 8. Thou, Lord,
*shalt show me the path of life;' thine hand shall guide
me to thy blissful abode, where * there is fulness of joy,
and rivers of everlasting pleasure.' Psalm xvi. IL Thou
shalt assign me a habitation with thy faithful servants,
whose separate spirits are now living with thee, while
their bodies sleep in the dust. Many of them have beea
my companions in thy laborious work, and in the ^ pa-
tience and tribulation of thy kingdom,' (Rev. i. 9.) my
dear companions, and my brethren. O show me, blessed
Saviour, how glorious and how happy thou hast made them.
Show me to what new forms of better life thou hast con-
ducted them whom we call the dead ! In what nobler and
more extensive services thou hast employed them! That
I may praise thee better than I now can, for thy goodness
to them. And 0 give me to share with them in their bless-
ings and their services, and to raise a song of grateful love,
like that which they are breathing forth before thee !

" Yet, 0 my blessed Redeemer ! even there will mv
soul be aspiring to yet a nobler and more glorious hope';
and from this as yet unknown splendour and felicity, shall
I be drawing new arguments to look and long for the day
of thy final appearance. There shall I long more ardently
than I now do, to see thy conduct vindicated, and thy
triumph displayed; to see the dust of thy servants re- ani-
mated, and ' death, the last of their enemies and of thine,

268 THE DYING CHRISTIAN. [Ch. 30.

swallowed up in victory.' 1 Cor. xv. 26, 54. I shall long
for that superior honour that thou intendest me, and that
complete bliss to which the wholebody of thy people shall
be conducted^. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, will min-
gle itself with the songs of paradise, and sound from the
tangues of all the millions of thy saints, whom thy grace
hath transplanted thither.

" In the mean time, O my divine Master, accept the
iiomage which a grateful heart now pays thee, in a sense
of the glorious hopes with which thou hast inspired it! It
is ihou that hast put this joy into it, and hast raised my
soul to this glorious ambition : whereas I might otherwise
have now been grovelling in the lowest trifles of time and
sense, and been looking with horror on that hour which h
now the object of my most ardent wishes.

" O be with me always, even to the end of this mortal
life. And give me, while waiting for thy salvation, to be
doing thy commandments. May ' my loins be girded about,
and my lamp burning,' (Luke, xii. 35.) and my ears be still
watchful for the blessed signal of thine arrival; that my
glowing soul may with pleasure spring to meet thee, and
be strengthened by death to bear those visions of glory^
under the ecstacies of which feeble mortality would nov?"
expire !"

CHAPTER XXX.

THE CHRISTIAN HONOUKIHG GOD BY HIS DYING BEHAVIOUK-

1. Reflections on the sincerity with which the preceding counsel has been
given. — 2, 3. The author is desirous that (if Providence permit) he
may assist the Christian to die honourably and comfortably. — 4. With
this view, it is advised — to rid the mind of all eartlily cares. — 5. To
renew the humiliation of the soul before God, and its application lo
the blood of Christ. — 6. To exercise patience under bodily pains and
sorroivs. — 7. At lenvingthe world, to bear an honourable testimony to
religion. — 8. To give a solemn charge to surviving friends, — 9. espe-
cially recommending faith in Christ. — 10, 11. To keep the promises
of God in view. — 12. Aiid to commit the departing spirit to God, in
the genuine exercises of gratitude and repentance, faith and charity,
which are exemplified in the concluding meditation and prayer.

1. Thus, my dear reader, I have endeavoured to lead
you through a variety of circumstances, and those not

Ch. 30.] fHE DYING CHHISTIAN. 269

fancied or imaginary^, but such as do indeed occur in the
human and Christian life. And I can truly and cheerfully
say, that I have marked out to you the path which I my-
self have trod, and in which it is my desire still to go on.
I have ventured my own everlasting interests on that foun-
dation on which 1 have directed you to adventure yours.
What I have recommended as the grand business of your
life, I desire to make the business of my own ; and the
most considerable enjoyments which I expect or desire in
the remaining days of my pilgrimage on earth, are such as
I have directed you to seek, and endeavoured to assist you
in attaining. Such love to God, such constant activity in
his service, such pleasurable views of what lies beyond
the grave, appear to me (God is my witness) a felicity in-
comparably beyond any thing else which can offer itself
to our affection and pursuit; and I would not for ten thou-
sand worlds resign my share in them, or consent even to
the suspension of the delights which they afford, during
the remainder of my abode here. ,i

2. I would humbly hope, through the divine blessing,
that the hours you have spent in the review of these plaia
things, may have turned to some profitable account; and
that, in consequence of what you have read, you have been
either brought into the way of life and peace, or been in-
duced to quicken your pace in it. Most heartily should I
rejoice in being further useful to you, and that even to the
last. Now there is one scene remaining, a scene through
which you must infallibly pass, which has something in it
so awful, that I cannot but attempt doing a little to assist
you in it : I mean the dark Valley of the Shadow of Death.
I could earnestly wish, that, for the credit of your profes-
sion, the comfort of your own soul, and the joy and edifi-
cation of your surviving friends, you might die, not only
safely, but honourably too; and therefore I would offer
you some parting advice. I am sensible, indeed, that Pro-
vidence may determine the circumstances of your death in
such a manner, as that you may have no opportunity of
acting i:pon the hints I now give you. Some unexpected
accident from without or from within, may, as it were,
whirl you to heaven before you are aware; and you may
find yourself so suddenly there, that it may seem a trans-
lation rather than a death. Or it is possible the force of a

270 THE nyiNG CHRISTIAN. [Ch. 30,

distemper may affect your understanding in such a man-
ner, that you may be quite insensible of the circumstances
in which you are ; and so your dissolution (though others
may see it visibly and certainly approaching) may be as
great a surprise to you, as if you had died in full health.

3. But as it is, on the whole, probable you may have a
more sensible passage out of time into eternity, and as
much may, in various respects, depend on your dying be-
haviour, give me leave to propose some plain directions
with relation to it, to be practised, if God give you oppor-
tunity, and remind you of them. It may not be improper
to look over the xxixth chapter again, when you find the
symptoms of any threatening disorder. And I the rather
hope that what I say may be useful to you, as methinks I
lind myself disposed to address you with something of that
peculiar tenderness which we feel for a dying friend ; to
whom, as we expect that we shall speak to him no more,
we send out, as it were, all our hearts in every word.

4. I would advise, then, in the first place, " that, as soon
as possible, you would endeavour to get rid of all further
care with regard to your temporal concerns, by settling
them in time, in as reasonable and Christian a manner as
you can." I could wish there may be nothing of that kind
to hurry your mind when you are least able to bear it, or
to distress or divide those who come after you. Do that
which in the presence of God you judge most equitable,
and which you verily believe will be most pleasing to him.
Do it in as prudent and effectual a manner as you can ;
and then consider the world as a place you have quite done
with, and its affairs as nothing further to you, more than
to one actually dead, unless as you may do any good to
its inhabitants while yet you continue among them, and
may, by any circumstance in your last actions or words in
life, leave a blessing behind you to those who have been
your friends and fellow-travellers, while you have been
despatching that journey through it which you are now
finishing.

5. That you may be the more at leisure, and the better
prepared for this, *' enter into some serious review of your
own state, and endeavour to put your soul into as fit a pos-
ture as possible for your solemn appearance before God."
For a solemn thing indeed it is, to go into his immediate

Ch. 30.] THE DYING CHRISTIAN. 271

presence ; to stand before him, not as a supplicant at the
throne of his grace, but at his bar as a separate spirit, whose
time of probation rs over, and whose eternal state is to be
immediately determined. Renew your humiliation before
God for the imperfections of your life, though it has, in
the main, been devoted to his service. Renew your a]>-
plication to the mercies of God as promised in the cove-
nant of grace, and to the blood of Christ as the blessed
channel in which they flow. Resign yourself entirely to
the divine disposal and conduct, as willing to serve God,
either in this world or the other, as he shall see fit. And
sensible of your sinfulness on the one hand, and of the di-
vine wisdona and goodness on the other, summon up ail
the fortitude of your soul to bear, as well as you can, what-
ever his afflicting hand may further lay upon you, and to
receive the last stroke of it, as one who would maintain
the most entire subjection to the great and good Father ot
spirits.

6. Whatever you suff"er, endeavour to show " yourself
an example of patience." Let that amiable grace " have
its perfect work ;" (James, i. 4.) and since it has so little
more to do, let it close the scene nobly. Let there not be
a murmuring word ; and that there may not, watch against
every repining thought. And when you feel any thing of
that kind arising, look by faith upon a dying Saviour, and
ask your own heart, "Was not his cross much more pain-
ful than the bed on which I lie ? Was not his situatior,
among bloodthirsty enemies, infinitely more terrible than
mine amidst the tenderness and care of so many affection-
ate friends ? Did not the heavy load of my sins press him
in a much more overwhelming manner, than I am pressed
by the load of these afflictions ? And yet he bore all, ' as
a lamb that is brought to the slaughter.'" Isaiah, liii. 7.
Let the remembrance of his sufferings be a means to
sweeten yours ; yea, let it cause you to rejoice, when you
are called to bear the cross for a little while, before you
wear the crown. Count it all joy, that you have an oppor-
tunity yet once more of honouring God by your patience,
which is now acting its last part, and will, in a few days,
and perhaps in a few hours, be superseded by complete,
everlasting blessedness. And I am willing to hope, that in
these views you will not only suppress all passionate com-

272 THE DTING CHRISTIAN. [Cb. 30,

plaints, but that your mouth will be filled with the praises
of God ; and that you will be speaking to those who are
about you, not only of his justice, but of his goodness too»
So that you will be enabled to communicate your inward
joys in such a manner, as may be a lively and edifying
comment upon those words of the Apostle, " Tribulation
worketh patience ; and patience, experience ; and expe-
rience, hope ; even a hope which maketh not ashamed,
while the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the
Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Rom. v. 3 — 5.

7. And now, my dear friend, " now is the time, when
it is especially expected from you, that you bear an hon-
ourable testimony to religion." Tell those that are about
you, as well as you can, (for you will never be able fully
to express it,) what comfort and support you have found
in it. Tell them how it has brightened the darkest circum-
stances of your life : tell them how it now reconciles you
to the near views of death. Your words will carry with
them a peculiar weight at such a season : there will be a
kind of eloquence, even in the infirmities with which you
are struggling, while you give them utterance; and you
will be heard with attention, with tenderness, with credit.
And therefore, when the time of your departure is at hand,
with unaffected freedom breathe out your joy, if you then
feel (as I hope you will) a holy joy and delight in God.
Breathe out, however, your inward peace and serenity of
mind, if you be then peaceful and serene : others will
mark it, and be encouiaged to tread the steps which lead
to so happy an end. Tell them what you feel of the
vanity of the woild, and they may learn to regard it less.
Tell them what you feel of the substantial supports of the
Gospel, and they may learn to value it more ; for they
cannot but know, that they must lie down on a dying-bed
too, and must then need all the relief which the Gospel
itself can give them.

8. And to enforce the conviction the more, " give a
solemn charge to those that are about you, that they spend
their lives in the service of God, and govern themselves by
the principles of real religion." You may remember, that
Joshua, and David, and other good men did so, when they
perceived that the days drew near in which they should die.
And you know not how the admonitions of a dying friend^

Ch. 30.] THE DYING CHRISTIAN. 273

or (as it may be with respect to some) of a dying parent,
may impress those who may have disregarded what you
and others may have said to them before. At least, make
the trial, and die, labouring to glorify God, to save soulsj
and generously to sow the seeds of goodness and happiness
in a world where you have no more harvest to reap. Per-
haps they may spring up in a plentiful crop, when the clods
of the valley are covering your body : but if not, God will
approve it j and the angels that wait around your bed to
receive your departing soul, w^ill look upon each other with
marks of approbation in their countenance, and own, that
this is to expire like a Christian, and to make a glorious
improvement of mortality.

9. And in this last address to your fellow mortals,\vhoever
they are that Providence brings near you, "be sure that
you tell them how entirely and how cheerfully your hopes
and dependence in this season of the last extremity are
fixed, not upon your own merits and obedience, but on what
the great Redeemer has done and has suffered for sinners."
Let them see, that you die as it were at the foot of the
cross : nothing will be so comfortable to yourself, nothing
so edifying to them. Let the name of Jesus, therefore, be
in your mouth, while you are able to speak, and when you
can speak no longer, let it be in your heart ; and endeavour
that the last act of your soul, while it continues in the body,
may be an act of humble faith in Christ. Come unto God
by him : enter into that which is within the veil, as with
the blood of sprinkling fresh upon you. It is an awful
thing for such a sinner, (as you, my Christian friend, with
all the virtues the world may have admired, know your-
self to be,) to stand before that infinitely pure and holy
Being, who has seen all your ways, and all your heart,
and has a perfect knowledge of every mixture of imper-
fection which has attended the best of your duties : but
venture in that way, and you will find it both safe and
pleasant.

10. Once more " to give you comfort in a dying hour,
and to support your feeble steps while you are travelling
through this dark and painful w ay, take the word of God
as a staff in your hand." Let books, and mortal friends,
now do their last office for you. Call, if you can, some ex-
perienced Christian, w ho has felt the power of the word of

274 THE DYING CHRISTIAN. [Ch. 30,

God upon his own heart, and let him bring the Scripture,
and turn you to some of those precious promises, which
have been the food and rejoicing of his own soul. It is
with this view, that I may carry the good office I am now
engaged in as far as possible, that I shall here give you a
collection of a few such admirable scriptures, each of them
" infinitely more valuable than thousands of gold and sil-
ver." Psalm cxix. 72. And to convince you of the degree
in which I esteem them, I will take the freedom to add,
that I desire they may (if God give an opportunity) be
read over to me, as I lie on my dying-bed, with short in-
tervals between them, that I may pause upon each, and re-
new something of that delightful relish, which, I bless God,
I have often found in them. May your soul and mine be
then composed to a sacred silence, (whatever be the com-
motion of animal nature,) while the voice of God speaks
to us, in the language which he spake to his servants of
old, or in which he instructed them how they should speak
to him in circumstances of the greatest extremity !

11. Can any more encouragement be wanting, when he
says, " Fear not, for I am with thee ; be not dismayed, for
I am thy God : I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help
thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my
righteousness." Isaiah, xli. 10. And " he is not man that
he should lie, or the son of man that he should repent.
Hath he said, and shall he not do it ? Or hath he spoken,
and shall he not make it good ?" Numb, xxiii. 19. " The
Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear ?
The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be
afraid ?" Psalm xxvii. 1. " This God is our God for ever
and ever : he will be our guide even unto death." Psalm
xlviii. 14. Therefore, " though I walk through the valley
of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil ; for thou art
with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfoit me." Psalm
xxiii. 4. "I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord." Gen.
xlix. 18. 0 coutinue thy loving-kindness unto them that
know thee, and thy righteousness to the upright in heart!
For with thee is the fountain of life ; in thy light shall we
seelight. Psalm xxxvi. 9.10. "Thou wilt show me the path
of life ; in thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand
there are pleasures for evermore." Psalm xvi. 11. "As for
ine, I shall behold thy face in righteousness : I shall be

Ch. 30.] THE DYING CHRISTIAN. 275

satisfied, when I R\vake,with thy likeness." Psalm xvii. 15.
" For I know in whom I have believed, and am persuad-
ed that he is able to keep what I have committed to him
until that day." 2 Tim. i. 12. " Therefore my heart is
glad, and my glc-ry rejoiceth ; my flesh also shall rest in
hope." Psalm xvi. 9. "For if we believe that Jesus died,
and rose again ; those also that sleep in Jesus will God
bring with him." 1 Thess. iv. 14. " I give unto my sheep
eternal life," said Jesus, the good Shepherd, " and they
shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my
hand." John, x. 28. " This is the will of him that sent
me, that every one that believeth on me should have ever-
lasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." John,
vi. 40. " Let not your heart be troubled ; ye believe in
God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions ; if it were not so, I would have told you : I go
to prepare a place for you ; and if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself, that
where I am, there ye may be also." John, xiv. 1 — 3. "Go,
tell my brethren, I ascend unto my Father and your Fa-
ther, and to my God and your God." Jo!m, xx. 17. "Fa-
ther, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with
me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou
hast given me ; that the love wherewith thou hast loved
me, may be in them, and I in them." John, xvii, 24. 26.
" He that testifieth these things saith, " Surely, I come
quickly. Amen : even so come. Lord Jesus." Rev. xxii.
20. " 0 death, where is thy sting ? 0 grave, where is
thy victory ? Thanks be to God, who giveth us the vic-
tory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" 1 Cor. xv. 55. 57.
12. Thus may that God, who "knows the souls of his
children in all their adversities," (Psalm xxxi. 7.) and in
"whose sight the death of his saints is precious," (Psalm
cxvi. 15.) cheer and support you and me in those last ex-
tremities of nature ! May he add us to the happy number
of those who have been more than conquerors in death !
And may he give us those supplies of his Spirit, which may
enable us to pour out our departing souls in such senti-
ments as those I would now suggest, though we should be
no longer able to utter words, or to understand them if
they were read to us. Let us, at least, review them with
all proper affections now, and lay up one prayer more for

276 THE DYING CHRISTIAN. [Ch, 30.

that awful moment. O that this, and. all we have ever
offered with regard to it, may then " come to remembrance
before God!" Acts, x. 4.31.

j3 Meditation, or Prayer, suited to the Case of a Dying Christian.

" O thou supreme Ruler of the visible and invisible
worlds ! thou Sovereign of life and of death, of earth and
of heaven, blessed be thy name, I have often been taught
to seek thee. And now once more do I pour out my soul,
my departing soul, unto thee. ' Bow down thy gracious
ear, O God ! and let my cry come before thee with ac-
ceptance.'

" The hour is come, when thou wilt separate me from
this world, with which I have been so long and so familiar-
ly acquainted, and lead me to another, as yet unknown.
Enable me, I beseech thee, to make the exchange as be-
comes a child of Abraham, who being ' called of thee to
receive an inheritance, obeyed and w^nt out,' though he
knew not particularly whither he went : (Heb. xi. 8.) as
becomes a child of God, who knows that, through sove-
reign grace, ' it is his Father's good pleasure to give him
the kingdom.' Luke, xii. 32.

*' I acknowledge, O Lord ! the justice of that sentence
by which I am expiring ! and own thy wisdom and good-
ness in appointing my journey through this gloomy vale
which is now before me. Help me to turn it into the
happy occasion of honouring thee, and adorning my pro-
fession ! and I will bless the pangs by which thou art glo-
rified, and this mortal and sinful part of my nature is dis-
solved.

" Gracious Father ! I would not quit this earth of thine,
and this house of clay, in which I have sojourned during
my abode upon the face of it, without my grateful acknow-
ledgments to thee for all that abundant goodness which
thou hast caused to pass before me here : (Exod. xxxiii.
19.) with my dying breath 1 bear witness to thy faithful
care : I have * wanted no good thing.' Psalm xxxiv. 10.
I thank thee, O my God ! that this guilty, forfeited, un-
profitable life, was so long spared ; that it hath still been
maintained by such a rich variety of thy bounty. I thank
thee that thou hast made this beginning of my existence
so pleasant to me. I thank thee for the mercies of my

Cho 30.] THE DYING CHRISTIAN. 2Tt

days and nights, of my months and years, which are now
come to their period : I thank thee for the mercies of my
infancy, and for those of my riper age ; for all the agree-
able friends which thou hast given me in this house of my
pilgrimage, ' the living and the dead ;' for all the help I
have received from others, and for all opportunities which
thou hast given me of being helpful to the bodies and souls
of my brethren of mankind. ' Surely goodness and mercy
have followed me all the days of my life,' (Psalm xxiii.
6.) and I have reason to rise a thankful guest from the
various and pleasant entertainments with which my table
has been furnished by thee. Nor shall I have reason to
repine, or to grieve at quitting them ; for, 0 my God ! are
thy bounties exhausted ? I know that they are not. I
will not wrong thy goodness and thy faithfulness so much
as to imagine, that, because I am going from this earth, I
am going from happiness. I adore thy mercy, that thou
hast taught me to entertain nobler views through Jesus
thy Son. I bless thee with all the powers of my nature,
that I ever heard his name, and heard of his death ; and
would fain exert a more vigorous act of thankful adoration,
than in this broken state I am capable of, while I am ex-
tolling thee for the riches of thy grace manifested in him,
for his instructions and his example, for his blood and his
righteousness, and for that blessed Spirit of thine which
thou hast given me, to turn my sinful heart unto thyself,
and to bring me ' into the bonds of thy covenant,' of that
covenant which ' is ordered in all things and sure,' (2 Sam.
xxiii. 5.) and which this death, though now separating my
soul froKT. my body, shall never be able to dissolve.

" I bless thee, O Lord ! that I am not dying in an unre-
generate and impenitent state : but that thou didst gra-
ciously awaken and convince me,> tb^t thou didst renew
and sanctify my heait, and didst by tt;- good Spirit, work
ill it an unfeigned faith, a real repentance, and the begin-
ning of a divine life. I thank thee for faithful ministers
and for gospel qrdinances : I thank thee for my Sabbaths
and seasons of communion at the table of my Lord ; and
for the weekly and monthly refreshments which they gave
me : I thank thee for the fruits of Canaan which were sent
me in the wilderness, and are now sent me on the brink
of Jordan. I thank thee for thy blessed word, and for

278 THE DYING CHRISTIAN. [Ch. 30,

those exceeding rich and precious promises of it, which
now lie, as a cordial, warm at my heart in this chilling hour :
promises of support in death, and of glory beyond it, and
of the resurrection of my body to everlasting life. 0 my
God ! I firmly believe them all, great and wonderful as
they are, and am waiting for the accomplishment of them
through Jesus Christ ; ' in whom they are all Yea and
Amen.' 2 Cor. i. 20. 'Remember thy word unto thy ser-
vant, on which thou hast caused me to hope.' Psalm cxix.
49. I covenanted with thee, not only for worldly enjoy-
ments, which thy love taught me comparatively to despise;
but for eternal life, as ' the gift of thy free grace through
Jesus Christ my Lord :' (Rom. vi. 28.) and now permit
me, in his name,. to enter my humble claim to it. Permit
me to consign 'this departing spirit to thine hand; for
thou hast redeemed it, O Lord God of truth !' Psalm xxxi.
5. ' I am thine : save me,' and make me happy ! Psalm
cxix. 94.

"But may I indeed presume to say I am thine? 0 God!
now I am standing on the borders of both worlds, now I
view things as in the light of thy presence and of eternity,
how unworthy do I appear, that I should be taken to
dwell with thy angels and saints in glory ! Alas ! I have
reason to look back with deep humiliation on a poor, un-
profitable, sinful life, in which I have daily been deserving
to be cast into hell. But I have this one comfortable re-
flection, that I have fled to the cross of Christ; and I
now renew my application to it. To think of appearing
before God in such an imperfect righteousness a? my own,
Avere ten thousand times worse than death. I^Vo, Lord, I
come unto thee as a sinner ; but as a sinner who has be-
lieved in thy Son for pardon and life : I fall down before
thee as a guilty, po«l'it'E;d wretch ; but thou hast made him
to be unto thy people for ' wisdom and righteousness, for
sanctification ana reaemption.' 1 Cor. i. 30. Let me have
ray lot among the followers of Jesus ! Treat me, as thou
Greatest those who are his friends and his brethren ! For
thou knowest my soul has loved him, and trusted in him,
and solemnly ventured itself on the security of his Gospel.
And ' I know in whom I have believed.' 2 Tim. i. 12. The
infernal lion may attempt to dismay me in the awful pas-
sage ; but I rejoice, that I am ' in the hands of the good

Ch. 30.j THE DYING CHRISTIAN. 27^

Shepherd,' (John, x. 11, 28.) and I defy all my spiritual
enemies, in a cheerful dependence on his faithful care. I
lift up ray eyes and my heart to him, who * was dead and
is alive again ; and behold, he liveth for evermore, and
hath the keys of death and of the unseen world.' Rev. i.
18. Blessed Jesus, I die by thine hand, and I fear no
harm from the hand of a Saviour ! I fear not that death,
which is allotted to me by the hand of my dearest Lord,
who himself died to make it safe and happy. I come.
Lord, I come, not only with a willing, but with a joyful
consent. I thank thee that thou rememberest me for
good ; that thou art breaking my chains, and calling me
to ^ the glorious liberty of the children of God.' Rom.
viii. 21. I thank thee, that thou wilt no longer permit
me to live at a distance from thine arms; but, after this
long absence, wilt have me at home, at home for ever.

*' My feeble nature faints in the view of that glory which
is now dawning upon me ; but thou knowest, gracious
Lord, how to let it in upon my soul by just degrees, and
to ' make thy strength perfect in my weakness.' 2 Cor.
vii. 9. Once more, for the last time, would I look down
on this poor world which I am going to quit, and breathe
out my dying prayer for its prosperity, and that of thy
church in it. I have loved it, O Lord ! as a living mem-
ber of the body ; and I love it to the last. I humbly
beseech thee, therefore, that thou wilt guard it, and pu-
rify it, and unite it more and more. Send down more of
thy blessed Spirit upon it, even the Spirit of wisdom, of
holiness, and of love ; till in due time ' the wilderness be
turned into the garden of the Lord,' (Isai. li. 3.) and ' all
flesh shall see thy salvation !' Luke, iii. 6.

" As for me, bear me, 0 my heavenly Father ! on the
wings of everlasting love, to that peaceful, that holy, that
joyous abode, which thy mercy has prepared for me, and
which the blood of my Redeemer has purchased ! Bear me
' to the general assembly and church of the first-born, to
the innumerable company of angels, and to the spirits of just
men made perfect.' Heb. xii. 22, 23. And whatever this
flesh may suffer, let my steady soul be delightfully fixed
on that glory to which it is rising ! Let faith perform its
last office in an honourable manner ! Let my few remain-
ing moments on earth be spent for thy glory, and so let

280 THE DYING CHRISTIAN". [Ch. 30,

me ascend, with love in my heart, and praise on my fal ^
tering tongue, to the world where love and praise shall be
complete ! Be this my last song on earth, which I am gO'
ing to tune in heaven : ' Blessing, and honour, and glory,
and power, be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and
to the Lamb for ever and ever.^ Amen !"

Dr. Doddridge was born in London, June, 26, 1702. He was of
a consumptive habit from infancy, was brought up in the early know
ledge of religion, and was left an orphan before he arrived at llie age
of 14. At 16, he made a profession of religion ; at 20, commenced
preaching the Gospel; and at 21, was settled over a small congrega-
tion, in an obscure village, where he devoted himself to the acquisi-
tion of useful knowledge with indefatigable zeal. At 27, he was re-
moved to the pastoral care of the church in Northampton, v/here, for
22 years, amidst other diversified labours, he acted as an instructer of
youth preparing for the ministry, having had under his charge, during
that period, upwards of 200 young men. At the age of 37 and 38, he
published two volumes of his Family Expositor; and about the age of
43, wrote " Tlie Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul." At 46,
he published the third volnmR nf thp Family Expositor, and two Dis-
sertations . — 1. On Sir Isaac Newton's Sytem of the Harmony. 2. On
the Inspiration of the New Testament. In December, 1750, in the 49th
year of his age, he went to St. Albans and preached the funeral ser-
mon of his early patron and benefactor. Dr. Clark, in which journey
he contracted a cold, that laid the foundation for his death. In July,
1751, he addressed his flock for the last time from the pulpit; and
having found all medical aid ineffectual, embarked, in October, for
Lisbon, as the last resort in so threatening a disorder, at which place
he died on the 26th of October, aged 49 years.

He was not handsome in person; was very thin and slender, in sta-
ture somewhat above the middle size, with a stoop in his shoulders ;
but when engaged in conversation, or employed in the pulpit, there
was a remarkable sprightliness in his countenance and manner, which
commanded general attention.

This volume is stereotyped and perpetuated, through the liberality
of Col. Henry Rutgers and Col. Richard Varick, of New- York; Ni-
cholas Brown, Esq. of Providence ; and Hon. Stephen Van Rensse-
laer, of Albany.

Wl-I 1 ^ JODO